When Mary and I moved to Aurora, Colorado,18 years ago, there was an open field across from our house. Within a couple years, Coyote Hills Elementary School was constructed and occupied.
At the same time that the school was being built, we were being introduced to our new Home Owners Association (HOA). This group not only approves and monitors house colors, they also took responsibility for landscaping and maintenance of shared neighborhood property. For 16 years, this worked without issue… until it didn’t.
It seems that a small strip of grass that is located between the sidewalk in front of Coyote Hills and street is now in dispute. The question revolves around the responsibility to maintain this parcel of land. For 16 years, our HOA embraced their responsibility and adequately maintained it. Then something happened. A dispute. And with the dispute, an unwillingness on the part of the school district, and the HOA to allocate time and resources to maintain this grass.
And so the grass grows. And yes, the weeds as well.
The district dutifully mows what’s on their side of the sidewalk… nicely mowed in angular patterns, and of course, the local homeowners maintain the grass across the street, but heaven forbid that anyone should mow the three-foot patch of grass that extends the length of the sidewalk.
Last week as I looked across the street with growing levels of frustration, mixed with disbelief…I pulled my mower from the garage and pushed it across the street. Ten minutes later, I was done. Grass mowed.
No lawyers showed up. No school board members were called. No fights broke out. No, quite simply, the grass got mowed.
As I pushed my mower back into my garage, my feeling of satisfaction was overwhelmed with a feeling of embarrassment. For over a year I’ve allowed the fuming and fighting of the HOA and the school district to impact my view of the world. I allowed the irrational bickering of others to alter my perspective. I submitted to a public dispute that changed my perspective on the neighborhood.
Not anymore.
While the world argues and fights and shouts and sues and lawyers up and looks the other way… and while those who live in other communities decide what happens in mine… I’ve decided it’s time to change something. To step in. Quietly. With a mower of my own.
The Kingdom of God doesn’t have a school board or an HOA. No, it has a King, and the followers of the King steward the Kingdom… together. One mower at a time.
Perhaps there are places we should all stop waiting for somebody else to figure out who’s job it is, and simply start our mower. Side by side. Because the grass and weeds are growing, and the neighborhood is paying attention.
{ 0 comments }
