Edges, Fourth Legs

In my declining energy I jumped at the chance of someone coming to winterize (is that really a word?) my garden.  It's only the size of a largish handkerchief but it still holds a surprising amount of overgrown organic stuff.  

When the gardener came this week I think he saw genuine need!  He set to weeding and pruning. Unfortunately, sudden heavy rain saturated him and even for a seasoned gardener he found the going was too tough. However, he said the lawn needed cutting for the last time in 2025. Can you imagine that? Cutting grass nearing Christmas!  Through teeming rain I saw him manouvre a serious machine, intended for large scale acreage, and move swiftly up and down leaving attractive stripes in the soaked lawn.

Later when the sun came out I had opportunity to see his work.  The wet lawn looked transformed. Prior to cutting he had worked on edging it.  Near the deck he had exposed the wooden surrounds framing that part of the lawn. I had not seen these edges for a decade. Grass had grown over, with weeds germinating in the gap and a mulch of leaves.  On hands and knees he had restored the edge, long hidden.  Then for the rest of the lawn he dug its edges cleanly, weeding the beds and leaving earth freshly exposed.

I had not thought of it for years but one of my mother's sayings when I had to cut the manse lawn was 'Don't forget the edges!' I remember her cautioning that the job was never done until the edges were properly cut. I also remember regularly skimping that part. After all the main law looked OK.  Yet, it was proved true again this week - now that the edges have been clearly cut the lawn looks finished.  

This lesson about completing a job properly is an important one.  I remember a teacher commending fourth-leggery to her students- that when you were cleaning the room and the far leg of a chair or sideboard, or whatever, was less accessible so no-one would see whether it was cleaned or not, it was just as important as the rest. I know this makes a different point but it also comes back to that verse Col 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your hears, as working for the Lord and not for men!

Edges, fourth-legs, I get the point!