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Life Filter
By Kyle | April 9, 2007
Spring time came to the Midwest, then left. It’s back to winter again. As I write this it is April 9, 2007 and outside my office window is a near whiteout condition, but springtime will soon be here with summer close behind.
I love spring. Spring and Fall are the two seasons that never stay longer than they are welcome. With the coming of Spring come warm memories; feeling the threads of the baseball after a long Michigan winter, the purple and yellow flowers that make their way up through compressed soil, the buds of the pink magnolia in the front yard, the crackle of the somewhat premature opening of my old Volvo sunroof, the warmth of the sun on my face.
Another memory is of my first job. I worked for Briar Hill Golf Course the spring and summer of 1998. My duties varied, but all related to the keeping of the grounds. I spent a lot of the summer with a weed-whacker in my hands. I helped in the construction of a new tenth hole. I repaired a few broken sprinkler heads, but my main job is the one I remember most. Every Monday after our meeting, over sub-par, institutional coffee with powder creamer in the clubhouse, I would make my way to the back of the property to a pile of dirt, a pile of sand and a Cushman three wheeled vehicle. It was my job to repair the divots on all tees. I would mix two shovels of dirt and one shovel of sand with creeping bluegrass seed. Getting the proper mix required filtering out all the clods and rocks and debris from the dirt. I would start up the filter conveyor and put shovel-loads of dirt onto the screen which vibrated and all the rubble bounced on the screen while the fine dirt and sand accumulated in the bed of the Cushman. When I had enough soil I would turn off the conveyor and run my hands through the fine moist soil mixture. It was pleasing to the touch. I was proud of it. I would spread this mixture on the divot-filled tee box and sprinkle the creeping bluegrass seed on top. The tees were moved to another spot and within a few days after being watered the tee box was full of beautiful, new grass.
This reminds me of Philippians 4:8 “…whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things.”
I want the beauty of Christ in my life like the beauty of a neatly kept tee box full of fresh grass. To get that I have to put all of life through a filter to get rid of the debris. The music I listen too, the books I read, the movies I watch, the people I call friends need to go through the filter of this passage and the junk left bouncing on the screen.
Topics: thoughts... |
April 9th, 2007 at 9:00 pm
great story Kyle your writing like your dad,
April 9th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
Hey, Kyle. I love the “fliter” idea. That is well-put. When I read your essay I was thankful to God that he has formed a depth of conviction in you and given you wisdom. Glad you had time to post.
April 10th, 2007 at 9:26 pm
i love how you write…..so discriptive….it’s cool! I’ll see you tommorow!
abigail