Pot Holes in my alley

Today I was mowing, I know it is sad that most of my inspiration comes from doing the mundane tasks of my existence, but as I said I was mowing. I was on the riding lawn mower with sweat pouring down my face. Not that glistening type that models have on their face as they take a picture for an outdoor furniture magazine ad but a full fledged sweat with grime mixed in and an odor which clearly let me know my 12 hour deodorant was clearly at hour 18. But I was full throttle mowing the grassy alley behind my house and my neighbors. Yes, we mow the alley way behind our home because I live in a neighborhood where everyone mows on the same day. I am not sure if it is out of a desire for beautification or a much needed desire to keep up the Jones' who don't even live on our street. But as I was saying I was mowing the two block strip at a top rate speed. As I approached the turn to make the second strip of my journey I continued with same vigor and renewal that Yes, I was getting the grass cut. But as I slowed to make the third turn I began to notice the grass was not noticeably shorter on the two previous strips. I pushed down hard on the brake to come to a complete stop and looked around. I looked behind me and beside me and in front of me. The grass was all the same. I had been so intent on getting the job done at break neck speed that I had failed to notice I had not engaged the blade. I had been mowing this entire time with the blade pulled up. I quickly looked around to make sure none of the cars stopped at the light in the road beside me had noticed my mindless blunder. They had not. I engaged the blade, went a few feet and looked back to see perfectly cut grass. As I continued on my mission I began to think that is how I live life. Not fully engaged. I do every task with great speed and little thought but realized I needed to stop and check my path. God wants us to be totally engaged in what we do whether it is sacking groceries at the local store, feeding our children a snack while they play or putting in our time doing our "church work". I get so wrapped up in "doing" life I forget to engage. I forget that I am working not for myself but for the CEO of the universe in everything I do. I can spend countless hours and miles mowing with the blade not engaged and no matter how many times I go over and over the same spot the grass doesn't change. But once I stop and notice what little I have accomplished I can engage "the blade" and quickly all my work is complete. I also noticed as I hit every dip in the alley and the concrete water meter, now please don't tell my husband about this. I have already been banned from most of his power tools already, but I as I went quickly through the grassy potholes of the alley that my blade was being nicked and tossed about. I needed to slow down and go around them or go through them with more care. God puts potholes in our lives not so we go banging through them while getting hurt but so we will slow down and re-evaluate our journey, maybe even get off the mower completely and fix the pothole. But I continue on so stubborn that I can do this if I just go fast enough and not caring if every little blade of grass gets cut. I have even been know to mow around the trash in the yard like the window air conditioner unit that is waiting to be moved to the trash. I vow I will move the trash later. Problem is when I move it later the grass will be dead under it making what I thought was a well groomed lawn look terrible. When I forgot to take the trash out of my life I notice that my prayer life is usually dead, making me look and feel like a less than capable servant for God. I need to get off the mower and get rid of the trash, the resentment, the jealousy, the bitterness and self pity, so that my prayer life is alive and healthy. I finally finished the lawn, dirty and hot but with a sense of accomplishment that it was a job well done. I hope that when I get to Heaven I hear those same words about my time spent here on earth, Job well done my child. Job well done.