Chain Reaction?

I’m not a big believer in what is loosely called the “chaos theory.” A butterfly flapping his wings in one part of the world and causing a tsunami in another part of the world seems a bit of a stretch to me. However, I am a believer in chain reactions. One event leading to reactions and results that influence how other actions and consequences occur does seem plausible to me.

In my last post, I talked about how my mower went on the fritz. The busted mower led me to write about it which led to another event that had an impact on my family. A couple of days after posting about my lawn mower turmoil, I was speaking with my wife on the phone on my way home after work. She asked me the question, “Did you go shopping or anything today?” I thought that was an odd question, and wondered if something posted in our checking account that she didn’t recognize. However, when I got home, she greeted me as I walked in the door and said, “come here, I want to show you something.”

She opened up the blinds to a window with a view of our back deck. Right up there next to the back door was a big box that contained one brand-new lawn mower. We’d been paid a visit by someone who obviously knew about the situation, and decided to do something very, VERY kind for us. SO, to that person, if they should happen to read this, thank you very much. Your generosity is very touching and actually created a very cool excitement within my little family. We were all talking about it for the rest of the evening! God used you to meet a need for us, and that means so much, and again, I thank you for your very thoughtful act.

I have to admit, I actually got a bit excited about mowing the grass! I’m the kind of guy that enjoys playing with “new toys,” so I was ready on Friday morning when the time came to get the mower out so I could fire it up. I did all the new mower prep, and when I pulled the starter cord, the engine came to life with a very satisfying roar.

As I began to mow, I honestly spent the time considering how this was truly a blessing in my life and how I needed to be thankful. I actually prayed right there while I was mowing, which is very different from my usual mowing pastime of mentally singing 90’s power ballads. As I prayed, I began to realize how often I ignored the blessings in my life. Sure, I’m aware on a big scale of how blessed I am, but as the old hymn challenges, I was attempting to count my blessings.

Eventually, I discovered that I could not name them all, because every new blessing I considered triggered a wave of other blessings that actually preceded it, and then the ones that came before that. Basically, I spent the two hours mowing really moving to a good place emotionally and spiritually. (We’ll discuss physically later--as allergy season kicked me in the face due to the pollen count.)

When I was finished mowing, and before I showered, I felt very compelled to send my wife a quick message telling her how wonderful she is and how thankful I am for her. I hugged on my kids when they got home, and even though it’s only been two days ago as I write this, the simple act of “counting my blessings” served as one of the greatest spiritual renewal experiences I’ve had in a long time.

Okay, so some would argue that this set of circumstances actually does not constitute a chain reaction. But, it certainly shows how one blessing can inspire us to consider the many other blessings God has brought before us. I dare say that if we ever get to a place where we are feeling somewhat stuck (like that old mower’s starter cord), taking the time to think about all the blessings you have received can serve as a jump start your heart needs to get back on track spiritually. At the very least it can brighten your day.

I never dreamed that my little thoughts about my my broken lawn mower and asking for and waiting for help would turn out like it did. The experience has truly been one that got to me on a deeper level than I could have imagined. I won’t tell you that all of our experiences will turn out this way, but why try and copy this experience when God can bring you a brand new one full of His blessings for you?