Jimbo's Jots

It’s mowing season!! I really do love to mow! I go out, put my airbuds in, and start. Between the weed whipping, edging and the mowing, it takes me about an hour to finish my whole yard. I like to look back as I make a pass of a row to see the difference and the pattern.

I have several friends that are lawn maintenance people. They own businesses that are hired to mow the lawns for homeowners and companies. One in particular will post pictures of finished yards. I love the pattern of one row after another.

I also have gotten sucked into watching videos of lawn guys coming in and mowing a yard that has not been touched in a long time. In watching these videos, we soon discover either through the homeowner or a neighbor that it is someone who is very sick or just can’t get out to mow. So these companies will come in and mow, videotaping as they mow so you can get a before and an after.

I also like to watch baseball games to see the fields. These people are good!! Straight lines stretching from home plate to centerfield! I especially like to see the patterns and designs created in centerfield. Typically, these are done on special occasions like opening day in which the team logo is on full display. And it’s all done with a bit of mowing following a pattern.

All of this to say, mowing calms me! I’m not a highly anxious person anyway. But for some reason, when I’m able to be outside, walking, I feel especially calm. It’s my chance to just spend time, usually, by myself . . . most of the time praying along the way. I pray for family! I pray for church family! I pray for my neighbors! When I see a yard being mowed or a completed yard, I experience a sense of ease.

There’s a book I recommend to clients who struggle with anxiety called, Rewire Your Anxious Brain (Dr. Catherine Pittman). In short, she says the brain functions similarly to a switchboard in a phone system. As we experience life, our brains will determine “where the call should go”. Past events may trigger anxious thoughts. She proposes by monitoring the switchboard from the start will help us manage our anxiety better as we learn to “send the calls” to the right department in our brain.

Mowing does this for me! It helps me think about things that are important to me and puts them at the forefront of my brain, creating a sense of peace. Some people take moments out of their day either early in the morning or right before bed to process their day. Some will use exercise as a means of working through their anxiety or worry.

What have you found that works for you? Or maybe you haven’t found that redirection? Paul encourages the believers in Philippi to “let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns.” (Philippians 4:6, The Message). Maybe that’s the place to start for you.

Be blessed! Be a blessing to others!