DETHATCHING – NOT JUST FOR YOUR LAWN BUT YOUR LIFE TOO

Dethatching Not Just For Your Lawn, But For Your Life Too

ARTICLE BY DANE BORUFF, DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MINISTRIES, PARK AVENUE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Dane and Brooke Boruff

My wife Brooke and I were lucky enough to get married just before quarantine started and shut everything down. She moved into my one-bedroom apartment after the wedding, and it didn't take us long to realize that we needed a bit more space than the apartment could provide. So, we looked around and found the perfect little house to rent. Just one week after we moved in, COVID hit, and the world seemed to stop. Having just moved into my first house with a real yard, I decided (like I am sure many of you did) to try my hardest to make it the best-looking yard on the block.

I did all kinds of research on how to best grow grass. I wanted my yard to be the kind that makes you want to take off your shoes and walk around barefoot. You know the yard I am talking about, the one that looks so inviting that if you had a glass of lemonade, you wouldn’t mind spending the whole day there. While doing my research, I came across a technique known as "dethatching." Thatch is dead grass that becomes matted up and forms a thick layer underneath your grass that is still living. This layer can prevent water and nutrients from reaching the soil and, in turn, hinder new growth. It is vital to remove this layer, or "dethatch" your yard so that new growth can take place.

One morning, God laid on my heart that this "dethatching" I was learning about was not just for my grass but also for my life. I had to take a step back and consider how this applied, but it didn't take long to realize a great truth: our lives can become so full that we leave no room for new growth. It's interesting how, in one fell swoop, all the things that took up so much of our time were taken out of our lives for a period. Sports, dance recitals, social gatherings, etc. The list goes on and on. Now, before we go any further, please do not hear me saying that those are bad things. All of these things can be great. My question is, “Is there life there?”. grass that was once alive, it now forms a mat underneath, so it was with my full schedule. My refusal to let go of the old and focus on the new God was putting in my life was preventing growth. It took some of those things being torn from me, like the thatch layer being ripped out of my yard, to see that God was actually making room for His new life.

That new life looks different for so many people. As a youth pastor, I have the privilege of interacting with local middle school, high school, and college students every week. When I asked them, what has been the most significant change in their lives during quarantine, the single most popular answer was the considerable increase in their time spent with family. You may think that a bunch of teenagers might view that more like a punishment, but it turns out that they cherish this time just as much as the parents do (even if they don’t act like it all the time!). Sometimes it takes the removal of all the excess in our lives to realize what is truly important.

As the world opens back up, my challenge to you would be to make sure you are intentional about what you allow back in your schedule - or your “yard." We must be careful not to weave a mat of dead grass back in and choke out the new life that has been born during this painful process.

"I think that extra time with family is more time to get closer and learn more about each other. Over the summer, my family went to different parks to take in nature, but mainly just to get out of the house. Being able to go to new places was the perfect opportunity for my family to bond."

- Michael Sumner - 11th grade

"Instead of being busy all the time with school and other activities, I found myself with more time at home to spend with family. Looking back on the experience, I realize that a busy life doesn’t allow you to always process the meaning of having a loving family. This time has allowed me to grow relationships with my family making us closer. Proving that it is good to slow down and focus on appreciating my family's bond."