ROCK ARRANGEMENT

This experience was a unique opportunity to show God’s love and practical care. 

I’m an outdoor, work-in-the-garden and get-your-hands-dirty type of homemaker.   There is something therapeutic about moving about in the dirt, rocks and grass.  My fingernails can attest to the fact that they’ve been active participants in my yard care events.  There’s been more than once that women passing by in those cute little jogging outfits have glanced my way as I was bent over or moaning in the garden.  When there’s been sufficient eye contact with one, I smile and respond with the phrase:   “some people belong to the gym, I get my work out here in the yard.”   

We lived in an area of the United States at one time that was very HOT for about six months of the year.   You were hard-pressed to even visually take notice of a neighbor.   People would drive home from work or shopping in their air-conditioned cars and pull directly into their garages, heading straight for their air-conditioned homes.   I’d be the first to admit we did the same.  It was just too hot for work or play in the yard!   Even dipping into a pool felt like a warm shower.

Over the cooler months I got to know our neighbors.  One morning was particularly cool, a balmy 85 degrees.   I perched myself in a lawn chair and enjoyed a latte outside in our front entry to relax and enjoy an hour of “doing nothing.”  Yes, doing “nothing” is a wonderful activity sometimes.

My chair was out far enough to notice some activity a few houses down the street.  What caught my eye was our neighbor directing a man in the placement of rocks in his yard.   This “rock traffic” scenario was to form a water-bed scene in his front yard using rocks.   

I knew the neighbor in charge of this project, and even from a distance, I thought it was a clever idea.  Before too much time elapsed, I found myself walking over to peruse the situation.  I wasn’t there long when it was obvious that my neighbor was not happy about the “rock arrangement” being carried out by his hired worker. 

My neighbor had outlined this continuous rock bed formation with larger rocks, and this hired man was to place the rocks within that design so it would resemble a stream like brook.    My observation was pretty accurate by the rolling of the eyes and deep breathing of my neighbor.  The man whom he hired to help out was just tossing the 6” to 8” rocks into the area at random hoping they would look right after landing.

Neither my neighbor, or his hired worker, nor I, had any experience in “rock arrangement;” but I could see that it was looking messy, and frustration was written all over my neighbor’s face.   A conversation began to take place in my head.   It was this:   “I think each rock should be “arranged” in this designated area, not just tossed in with the hope it would work out to resemble a river-bed.”

Now normally I would have minded my own business and walked back home, but my inner frustration was mounting, and so was my neighbor’s.   I thought to myself, this worker needs help.  He needs to be “shown how” to place the rocks, then perhaps he would catch on.  

I gently invited myself into this “rocky project” by asking the owner if I could just help out a little, and see what would happen if we would attempt to “arrange the rocks” carefully instead of tossing them in at random.   At this point, he certainly had a more than cooperative spirit to that idea!  

Now I need to insert that earlier in the week I had asked the Lord to use me in our neighborhood and create practical “opportunities” to love others, as He loved them.    Well, the opportunity became abundantly clear and was ever-so-close to home.

The task at hand required you to get on your knees.   I found that if I took each rock and placed them, like a puzzle piece, to both fill and overlap over the dirt, it began to take shape.   After about ten minutes of puzzling the rocks together, it began to look like a stream.    The owner, my neighbor, was thrilled that this array of rocks was beginning to come together in a stream-like fashion.  

Before long (about two hours later), I had completed over a third of the “rock arrangement” in his front yard.   I never looked up to see what the other man was doing, but I think he was given a new assignment.    That being:  just bring the rocks from the truck and dump them close to where I was kneeling.    The hours went by, and before the end of the morning, the “stream” was halfway completed.

The following morning the worker never showed up at my neighbor’s home.   You guessed it, I found myself “cheaply employed” by our neighbor.  I say cheaply because my earnings came through smiles, not cash.    We both agreed to start the completion of the stream very early the following morning.  Now it was just the two of us playing with these rocks.  

My neighbor was a tall, slim man, and my build is much closer to the ground.   He wisely suggested I needed knee pads for my protection from callouses.  Good idea….I used his.   This time I was dressed appropriately for the job, very old clothes,and a ball cap with a pair of “tight-fitting” knee pads.  Trust me, it wasn’t a pretty picture; but who cares, you’re playing in the dirt.

Laboring together was fun (did I say fun?).   He would scoop out the rocks from the truck, and dump them close by so I could just reach out and grab a rock and continue the sorting and placement. 

To be honest, I was really “into my work.”  Things were progressing quite well and the “creek formation” was clearly  coming together.  

We were on a roll, as they say, until we were interrupted by neighbors driving by and stopping to ask:  “who’s the little boy you have working for you?”   My neighbor, the task manager of this project began to laugh.   My focus was on the rocks, but when the pile of what I was forming was empty, I wondered why he had stopped doing his end of the job. 

I rose up slowly (and I mean slowly…as my back was getting sore) and found several pairs of eyes perched in my direction.  Accompanying the eyes was laughter.    They were laughing at the fact that they thought I was a boy.   My “rock boss” told them who I was and they couldn’t believe it.    At this, I was prompt to take off my hat and reveal my true identity.   I’m a girl for goodness sake!

This just brought on more laughter.  After my six foot plus boss ceased his chuckling, we resumed the routine of our work.   About an hour later, the CREEK BED WAS COMPLETED!!!!

I even lost a few pounds during that task.  But I will never forget the fun and sense of joy in helping out my neighbor.  And most of all, realizing that this was “God’s practical assignment” for me that week to show this man something of God’s love and care for him.

So if you’re interested in being a channel for God to use in your neighborhood, may I suggest driving with your eyes fixed straight ahead as you never know who might need “your helping hand….…on God’s behalf.”

I must add that about a week later my neighbor came over and presented me with a lovely gift………….. my own “new knee pads.”