As we suffer through the winter of 2015, we wonder if spring will ever arrive.

I look out the window in my office and I see the same white scenery I have seen since February 15.  The snow came in large amounts and it has lingered.  Now it is just hanging on due to the cold weather.

How about a springtime story?

Pastor Idleman gives us one in Chapter 8 when he talks about the yardman.  He moved into a neighborhood once and he found himself surrounded by homes and yards where the neighbors did not care about their lawns.  The weeds were springing up, the yards were not mowed on a regular basis and there was little landscaping.

Everything was ok because he was not much of a yardman himself.  He had plenty of stuff to do in his life to fill up his days.  Pulling weeds was not high on his list of priorities.

Then it all changed.

A new neighbor moved in and he had a green thumb.  This guy spent hours in the yard, planting, mowing and trimming.  This person was good at landscape design and he had a sense of color and beauty that was amazing.

What happened in the neighborhood?

Other yards began to pale in comparison.

The new guy set a higher standard.

Pastor Idleman did not feel content to let his yard go anymore.  He felt the need to try a little harder to keep his property looking better.

I bet this story is something you can relate to.

As spring begins to melt the snow and plants begin to sprout from the thawing ground, what are you going to do with your yard, especially those weeds in your yard?

Are you not going to even look at the mess that you call a lawn?  Are you going to deny that a problem exists?  Are you going to blame the problem on your bad back, lazy spouse or rebellious kids?  Are you going to nap on that couch and say, “it is no big deal?”

Well the Yardman has moved into the neighborhood and He has set a higher standard.

As we move into Chapter 9 next week, maybe we all need to get off that couch and take action….