The grass is greener… Here. Have you seen my yard? Greener, thicker, taller. It has been growing like crazy. My dad, brother-in-law, and I usually share fertilizing methods. This year my brother-in-law bought a new spreader. So my dad borrowed it and used it to fertilize my yard a few weeks ago.

In the beginning you could see light green rows where the grass wasn’t as tall or thick. Those were actually sections where the spreader missed so they didn’t get the fertilizer. I’m kind of glad some small areas were missed because then we were able to see how well the fertilizer was working. It grows so fast now that the yard should be mowed every 3-4 days (but Jeff only mows every 7 days… sorry neighbors!).

This blog post is not sponsored by the fertilizing company. I don’t even remember which brand we used. I think it’s a good illustration of our lives. The old adage says “the grass is greener on the other side.” Meaning no matter the situation you’re in, it’s easy to look around and think other people have it better than you. You may start to wish for a different job, your neighbor’s house, your friend’s spouse or kids. You don’t need a genie in a bottle to grant those wishes – or for those thoughts to even leave your head – to realize their devastating affects in your life.

Wishing and wondering about what life would be like if you had (fill in the blank) only leads to discontentment, envy, and jealousy. Even if you don’t speak the words, the thoughts themselves become apparent as your attitude with your own life becomes negative.

Too often people look over the fence, decide they could have a better life with that person, and leave… Only to find themselves looking over another fence months or years down the road. Our culture has viewed marriage as just a piece of paper instead of the sacred lifelong commitment it is. The easy way out is to leave, but often the harder, more challenging, and more rewarding choice is to stay and work things out.

I’m grateful Jeff and I have a heritage of committed marriages to learn from and pass on to future generations. Although we did discover recently that on Jeff’s Chinese side a great great grandfather actually had a wife and a concubine. To what degree the wife knew about the concubine I don’t know. The man had children with both women but then the concubine died. What do you think happened to her kids? The wife raised them as her own children. That takes forgiveness. That takes an attitude of “the grass is greener here.”

Whenever you’re tempted to start wishing for a different life – in marriage or work or anything – choose instead to see the grass is greener here.

“Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).