Promises!

My husband had lost his long battle with cancer, and his memorial service had just ended. My children, grandchildren, and I were greeting those who had come to honor him. One kind gentleman from the church, in a rash moment of generosity, assured me that the deacons would keep my lawn mowed in the summer.

However, promises made in January can be forgotten when spring and summer make the grass grow! Fortunately, I have never remembered who made that grand but unrealistic gesture, and I’m glad I don’t, for he meant well.

Warm weather came, the grass grew on my large lawn, but no deacon appeared with a lawnmower. Two of my kind neighbors noticed my predicament, and each took a turn or two with their riding mowers.

Finally, remembering the promise that the deacons would help, I picked up the phone to call the head deacon to ask for help.

Then I put the phone down.

Picked it up again and put it down and cried.

I did this several times before actually making the call.

The head deacon and his wife were some of our close friends, but he came himself and did the job rather than enlisting someone else.

Realizing that the promise was made in a moment of unrealistic sympathy, I knew it was up to me to find someone I could pay to do the mowing.

First, a young man in my church mowed the grass, and when it was no longer convenient for him, he passed it on to another church member, who years later is still faithfully doing it every summer —and being paid for his work! Even though the deacons didn’t take turns mowing my yard, there was a day when men and women from the church devoted a whole Sunday morning to do a general cleanup of the premises, trimming trees and shrubbery, cleaning gutters, weeding, hauling in mulch to go around trees —and mowing! Years ago, my husband and I started memorizing promises from the Bible.

After his death, I continued working on them and occasionally added others that spoke to my heart. I see God fulfilling these memorized promises.

He truly cares and takes care of our needs.

Mary Jane Graves