God and Zoysia grass

As usual, a busy weekend. Saturday was the day of our Open Garden Party, where we invited co-workers, friends, and family to come visit us and our gardens. Despite thunderstorms within close proximity most of the day, the rain stayed away, much to my dismay, until shortly after 4:00 PM, when the event was wrapping up. Even then, the rain amounted to only a tenth of an inch, a paltry sprinkling for ground that is in desperate need of a good soaking. But at this point, I'll take anything that falls from the sky.

Now you're probably wondering about the title of this post. What do God and Zoysia grass have in common? Or you may even be asking, "What is Zoysia grass?" Well, we have a patch of Zoysia grass in our yard, and it is slowly spreading and taking over the entire yard, which is what we want to happen. Our yard, and most yards in North Carolina, is seeded or sodded with fescue, a clumpy type of thick-bladed grass that requires copious amounts of water to stay green during the heat of summer. We are also the not-so-proud owners of several areas of Bermuda grass, an invasive, fast-growing creeper that can overtake garden space while you watch! Our small patch of Zoysia is originally from my mother-in-law's house in Huntsville, Alabama, which was planted by my husband in 1960. While visiting there in 2007, we returned with a bag full of cuttings of the Zoysia grass, and Bob planted those sprigs in a flowerbed located in the center of our back yard (no, we did not put the flowerbed there -- the previous owners did, and I never saw the sense of a flowerbed in the middle of the yard). Without much care, the Zoysia grass rooted and started doing its thing -- sending out runners, both underground and on the surface. This is the third summer for our patch of Zoysia grass, and its toothpick-thin blades are so thick it's like a carpet and is many times larger than the original spot. As the Zoysia advances, we pull up and discard the fescue, and the Zoysia simply establishes itself.

During the Garden Party, the Zoysia was the focus of the interest of many visitors. Bob proudly explained how Zoysia grows, how it tolerates the heat and takes very little water to stay green in the summer. I think we sold the idea of Zoysia to most of our neighbors and fully expect that half of the cul-de-sac will be Zoysia within a year. We eagerly told our visitors of the benefits of Zoysia grass, and they could see the grass for themselves and verify what we said.

I woke up early this Tuesday morning and took a walk, and during that walk, God impressed upon my heart a truth that stung -- I eagerly tell others about Zoysia but not about Him. OUCH! The truth hurt. When He revealed that to me, I realized that He is much like Zoysia. All it takes is a little sprig of Zoysia to get it started, but after a few years, the grass will spread and cover an entire yard. All it takes is a belief in God, an acceptance of Him into our lives, and little by little, His character, His love, joy, peace and kindness, spread into every area of our lives, weaving a tapestry that covers all of the ugly things about our past. God, like Zoysia grass, can cover the dirt of our lives and create a beautiful carpet that invites people in to experience the same thing. How beautifully simple!

So I can sell you on Zoysia grass, or I can sell you on the God of the universe, who has created everything, including Zoysia grass. As for me, I'm glad to have Zoysia grass taking over and pushing out the fescue and Bermuda grasses in our yard, but I'm even happier about God living inside me and showing me such a thing as what I've shared.

How about you? Do you know the God who's like Zoysia grass?