This morning as I walked to work, men and women were cutting the grass in Parque Lincoln. The man on the riding tractor was walking the futbol cancha picking up rocks that would ruin the blades on his riding tractor. I had to laugh as I watched him throw the rocks over the fence onto the grass that men with brand new push mowers would then hit. 5 men were trimming around trees and women were already raking and picking up the cut grass. The pile of grass and tree branches was growing to a mountain by the garbage container. I counted more than 15 people – making a difference in Parque Abraham Lincoln that boasts 2 kilometers of spectacular city park land. On week day nights hundreds of parents and children play, barbeque or just relax by water fountains, playgrounds and beautiful flowerbeds. On weekends, it’s thousands of people enjoying Cochabamba – the City of Parks.

As I began writing this article, the doorbell rang. A gardener came to cut the grass in our yard. I watched him carefully trim bushes, and rake up the cut grass. As I paid the gardener for his work, I stood and admired our beautiful yard – trimmed, grass cut, garden dug up and weeds pulled. I look at the park in front of my house – I love it!!!  The majestic Andes mountain to the north, proud homes of my friends surrounding the park, a bright, sunny and cool January afternoon … it doesn’t get any better than this!

What makes a freshly cut lawn look and feel so good? Is it the smell of grass? Is it the clean, neat look? Is it the feeling that people care and take pride in their work? Of course, all go into making me feel good.

I got to thinking of our family. Our children are grown – some still in university, but others married, working and having their own children. My thoughts of our family are not the mistakes we’ve made – I probably made the most. My thoughts are of the good times. I look at wedding pictures and see smiling, handsome men and beautiful women. I look at the pictures of our grandchildren taken at photo studios like MEMORIES in Cala Cala. I love to remember the good times and feel blessed. What an amazing life!

At night, when its dark and I get melancholic, I tend to think of the bad times, my mistakes, the way I was mistreated – like the overgrown flowerbeds in Parque Lincoln before the gardeners come with new flowers. I hate these thoughts!

We’re given a peak into the heart of God when we read that He never – ever thinks of our mistakes when we ask Him to take control of our lives. Our wrongs are forgiven. He sees us all cleaned up, beautiful, smiling images of Himself! If God sees us, who love Him, that way, why do we keep digging up the dirt and throwing it in the faces of our loved ones? This week, let’s look for the beauty in each family member.

None of us are perfect as individuals – nor are our marriages perfect.  As we work together to maintain our love and a strong marriage, our homes will be a good environment for growing and happy children.