Springtime–The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

I actually like the fact that we have four distinct seasons here in the St. Louis area, but spring and fall are truly my favorites. It’s the middle of May as I write this and I’ve been reflecting on not only what I like about spring, but also what I don’t like —because like most of life, springtime comes as a package deal and we have to accept the bad along with the good.

In springtime, the landscape wakes up from its winter sleep. It’s as if the world around me switches from black-and-white TV to color TV. That analogy might mean more to some people like myself who actually grew up with black-and-white TV.

Of course, I love the warmer, but less humid weather that spring brings and I love the longer days, which give me more time in the woods and streams. Things I don’t like are the pollen, ticks, chiggers and weeds, that also wake up in the spring.

I live in a condo now, so I don’t have to personally deal with lawn care the way I used to when I owned a house. Lawns are a package deal also and there’s clearly the good, the bad and the ugly of lawn care. The good is that a lawn looks great when it’s green, cut, and well manicured. The bad is that it keeps growing—especially in the spring—and it continuously needs cutting. The ugly is the invasion of weeds, especially crabgrass that destroys the beauty of a lawn. And if left unchecked, the weeds can take over a lawn choking out the grass.

As I was thinking of weeds and giving thanks that I don’t have to deal with a lawn any longer, it got me thinking of the Parable of the Sower (or Parable of the Soils), which is actually found in three of the four gospels: Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20, and Luke 8:4-15. It is a famous teaching of Jesus where he describes seeds falling on different types of soil, representing how different people receive the word of God.

Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” (Matthew 13:1-9)

In the Gospels, it goes on to explain, the sower represents Jesus, or anyone spreading the Gospel, while the seed is the “Word of God” or the message of the Kingdom. The story illustrates how different people respond to the message.

When Jesus said, “Whoever has ears, let them hear.”, I think it’s implied also, let them think, or let them evaluate which soil represents the condition of their heart.

Do you think you can improve the soil or condition of your heart? Do you want to have a healthy heart of good soil? Do you want your life to produce a good crop? Do you want to possibly be a 30x, 60x, or maybe even a 100x producer? Do you want to live a life of significance? Do you want a legacy that will echo through eternity? Do you also want the same for your family?

Do you think some crabgrass pre-emergent and some fertilizer would help? While you still have some influence on your kids, would it not be good to do some soil cultivation and to apply some crabgrass pre-emergent? Would you not agree that they are sure to eventually encounter thorns and weeds and birds in their life?

Do you think it’s time to get more proactive about reading and studying God’s Word? Do you think if your children saw you spending time in the Bible, that they would be more likely to do the same—if not now, then maybe as they get older?

I’m amazed at how many men I see at 6:30 in the morning at coffee shops like Panera’s, BreadCo, The Wolf and The Shack in informal Bible studies. And on Thursday mornings, I enjoy being part of a group of 70 men, broken into small groups studying The Bible at The Commons in Chesterfield. You might say, it’s like a bunch of guys at the hardware store in the spring buying fertilizer and crabgrass pre-emergent, because they care about the health of their lawns. These guys apparently care about the health of their souls.

So if you think you and your family could use some lawn care and some pre-emergent to help with the health of their souls both now and in the future, ask yourself if it would be good to pick up and read God’s Word, The Bible? And if you would like to be part of our Thursday group, contact me. You’ll see several of your FATC brothers there. Remember our motto: It’s not just about the fly fishing.

By the way, there’s still a few openings left for the upcoming May 18-22, 2026 Altar Fly Fishing Retreat in The Driftless Region of Minnesota. Over the years, I’ve attended several of these retreats and found them to be great for the health of my soil (soul), as well as great fellowship and great fly fishing. If you have any interest, please contact Jim Craig, ASAP.

John Muckerman

FATC Inspirational and Leadership Lead