Mowing the lawn and Making Disciples

I love to mow the lawn.  Its not just the fact that I have a really cool mower, which I do, but I find a strange satisfaction in doing at least one thing each week that has a starting and an ending. 

When  I am done, for at least a few minutes, before the giant pepper tree in the middle of my yard sheds a new carpet of tiny leaves and red berries, I can stand back, survey my tiny kingdom, and all is in order.

My son would probably say this is evidence of the need to exercise power inherent in my capitalist system of dominance and control.  Thats easy for him to say of course because he lives in the Capitol Hill district of Seattle and, judging by our recent July visit, people in his neighborhood take pride in the fact that they have no lawn at all, just a scruffy patch of dirt with a few pitiful weeds still hanging on after the annual Pacific Northwest Monsoon Season, which generally occurs from September - June. 

But beyond compulsion, how does mowing the lawn find a place in my life as a follower of Jesus Christ?  We all have these mundane chores don't we?  Washing dishes.  Laundry.  Cleaning french fries out of the seat track on the floor of the minivan.  Grocery shopping.  Things that need to be done, the regular everyday tasks of the suburban life.   

Simultaneously, as a Christian I live with the reality of my commissioning, I live under the awesome privilege of the command of my King, to "go into all the world and make disciples of every nation" (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16; Luke ; John 20:28; Acts 1:8).  So even though I need to be about mowing the lawn, I must do so within the context of a much larger mission, that of making disciples.  How do those two things go together?

Heres a thought:  Couldn't I, as I mow the lawn, reflect on things that cultivate in me a greater appreciation for the creativity, power, and common grace of God?  Things like the beauty of trees and plants and grass, the significance and pleasure of work, and the provision of God represented by my home.

And wouldn't that time of reflection cause me to grow in my admiration, wonder, and gratitude towards God?  And wouldn't that create an increased passion for the greatness of God which would then find expression in my interactions with others and in the prioritization of my time?

In other words, since our lives reflect our passions, if I cultivate an appreciation for the Glory of God in the ordinary, then my speech and my activities and my manner of living will naturally flow into obedience in the extraordinary. 

Thats how I can mow the lawn and make disciples.