Green Grass

When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land He has given you. Deuteronomy 8:10 (NIV)

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence isn’t it? We work hard to make sure our horse pasture is lush and healthy. A well and sprinkler system water the ground when we do not get rain, and we fertilize and take care not to overgraze. Though my horse, Trucker, and his friend, Indy, have two acres of grass to nibble upon, they are fascinated with what is outside their domain. They hang their heads as far over the fence as they can to reach the same stalks that grow right around them. If we leave the gate open into the yard, they immediately run through it to sample the vegetation around the house. They love my rose bushes. Though they prefer the blooms, they will eat the stems thorns and all. They pull the Spanish moss out of the oaks devouring it like a kid with a bag of cotton candy. For some reason, they also enjoy the sandspurs that grow along the driveway. Normally, I don’t mind sharing the yard with them, well, I do object to disappearing rose bushes except that they do leave me plenty of manure for fertilizer in exchange. Usually, they can have all they like of the weeds, and we welcome their help in keeping the grass trimmed. Except for a few times a year, when I spray the fence line with Round Up. If let go, the vines and the weeds will pull the fence down, but when treated, I fight to keep the horses away from those areas. Although the directions say that Round Up is not toxic to animals, it does leave them with an upset stomach. I cannot explain why, but the horses are extremely attracted to vegetation that has been treated with the chemical. Although I try to spray it only in areas that they do not have access to, they will work and pry to get their heads over the fence to munch on what they would ordinarily ignore. This weekend, I spent much of my time chasing horses away from what could be harmful to them. With two acres to eat, they decided to concentrate on the freshly sprayed fence line. Not even opening the gate to allow them access to moss and rose bushes could keep them from their fascination. Isn’t that just like most of us? God has blessed us with so much, but we always want something more, something our neighbor has or something that we just can’t live without. Or so we think. We have to be careful or we will let our discontent rob us of the joy God wants to give us. By the end of the weekend, I had to dose Trucker for colic. All that chemical he ingested gave him a belly ache. Just like Trucker, wishing for what we can’t have will only leave us with a sour stomach and many regrets. Learn contentment. God put the fence there for a reason.