Landscaping with Purpose

Landscaping: Is it vanity or a virtue? Well, if you are carving elephants out of shrubbery to impress the ungodly, you had better read Ecclesiastes. But if you are trying to separate lawns from hayfields, it shows good stewardship, work ethic, and even hospitality.But beware of “Martha syndrome.”

Well, this summer at Heralds of Hope, we decided it was time to do a little property maintenance.  

The parking lot needed some attention. While the base was intact, the surface was cracking at the seams and there was a green sprig or two popping up. So, we had it cleaned up and resealed. 

Our flowerbeds had a few shrubs that were growing unmanageable, so we replaced them with younger plants. And while we were at it, we planted stuff that looked good. Maybe that sounds a little vain, but why would we plant something ugly? 

This leads to a topic I would like to address briefly, and that is, the correlation between appearances and good works. If I may be so bold: If something IS GOOD, why shouldn’t it LOOK GOOD?I mean that both rhetorically and earnestly, because humility has its role as well. 

Appearances can be deceiving, overcompensating for a lack of quality or content. But we have the Gospel, the Good News of God’s living Word.

Why shouldn’t we present it as honestly compelling and attractive as it is? No, the questions aren’t always easy, and they can’t always be answered with a smile. But it is the Good News, so let it show in the presentation! Let it show in your countenance. Let it point people where worship is due–Him, not you. Let your light so shine!

Matthew 5:14-16 KJV – “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”  

-Eric Druist