It's Not Easy Being Green

     Kermit the frog said it best, "It's not easy being green." This has never been truer than when you try to keep your lawn even vaguely green in a high desert environment like Nevada. The ground is hard and seems to literally grow rocks. It's dry and there are watering restrictions. Even if you water in the early morning, the constant wind has dried out your lawn by evening. Nevada also plays host to the most incredible spectrum of weeds found anywhere on earth. If you eradicate one type, another will certainly take its place next week.

     So what does my lawn have to do with me being a priest? I’ve come to suspect that my struggles with my grass have become a metaphor for my life and the lives of others. Life requires constant tending, and the world around us is not always kind to people trying to grow. It sometimes seems easier just to give up, go brown, and let the weeds creep in. Still, faith says the effort is worth it. Just like those special early summer evenings when the green smell of a freshly mowed lawn fills your senses and water sparkles on it, there are times in our lives and the lives of others whom we serve and love where we see the true beauty of the Spirit growing in us. Then we know without a doubt, God is good.