We’re heading into the time of year when we’re noticing the outside, when we’re checking out our lawns and fields more and more, right? Kind of like a bear emerging from his winter residence, we’re stretching it out and looking to get busy outside.
Our meticulous lawners are just getting geared up. Whether you turn the key or pull the string (a hundred times), the work’s about to begin. Us lawners are getting prepared. Mowers have been serviced, new string for the whacker, fertilizer and lime bought, general cleanup of leaves and sticks on the horizon.
So, when the worst-best and I walk the fields this time of year, we notice field things, like the circles in the field above. There are several. Some bigger than others. Very strange. Perfect circles. No, it’s not a crop circle. I thought that too. Out at our place, that’s what we call them, but a little digging has revealed that these dark almost perfect circles in our front field are called Fairy Rings. Isn’t that a cute name? That sounds a lot better than crop circles, doesn’t it? Crop circles are manmade, Fairy Rings are fungi made – oh, that sounds a whole lot better, doesn’t it? Fairy Rings are actually said to be a sign of good luck and fortune. I’m liking these Fairy Rings more and more.
Unfortunately, despite the cute name, Fairy Rings are actually a lawn or field disease. Fork lore has it that little fairies dance the night away in these circles resting from time to time on toadstool chairs. Actually, that’s the cause of the circles, toadstools. I’m not going to get all science on you because I can’t, but as best I understand it, these fairy rings should be called fungi rings. This fungi grows from the middle out, feeding on decaying organic material creating a crusty layer just under the soil to create a perfect circle. You may or may not see the mushrooms, they may be under the soil and only come out at night for the dance (wink-wink).
Anyway, these Fairy Rings, or this lawn disease, seems to be most prevalent in sandy, under-watered, or poorly fertilized soils, and can cause serious damage. Fairy Rings usually do not develop in high maintained lawns. Hmmm.
Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
Matthew 7:24-27
The wise man heard Jesus’s teachings and obeyed, he built his house upon the Rock. The foolish man built his house upon the sand, he rejects the teachings of Jesus, and his house will fall because off its base.
With joy you will drink deeply from the fountain of salvation!
Isaiah 12:3
Are we well-watered? Are we drinking deeply from the perpetual fountain provided by God through Jesus His Son?
Then Jesus told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the keeper of the vineyard, ‘Look, for the past three years I have come to search for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Therefore cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’
‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone again this year, until I dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine. But if not, you can cut it down.’ ”
Luke 13:6-9
Are we giving ourselves the nutrients we need to maintain a healthy, well-balanced heart? Are we feeding on The Word of the Lord that quenches every hunger of our heart?
Sandy, under-watered, poorly fertilized soils. We must be very careful that our lives don’t end up like Fairy Rings. It is so easy to get sucked into the dance once the music gets going, if we are on sandy, under-watered, poorly fertilized soil. We need to keep in mind that that ring is made of fungus.
How do we prevent Fairy Rings? We maintain our lawn. How do we do that? From the inside out. We rake, we dethatch, we remove the buildup of dead matter. We build on the Solid Rock and not in the sand. We continually drink the life giving Living Water. We keep our lawns well fertilized with nutrients found in The Word. We poke holes in the soil to allow aeration of the Spirit so that the crusty mold does not get a grip and release toxins that can decay our hearts.
PERSIST
Isaiah Chapter 12
Matthew 7:15-29
Luke 13:1-9
PURSUE
Keep in mind that Fairy Rings do not survive in solid, wet, well-fertilized soil.