Have you ever heard the saying, “The grass is greener on the other side”? (I know all you English teachers are throwing your hands up because I added ‘er’ to the end of green, just bear with me) As my 5 years of Naval service are soon coming to an end this Friday, I begun to think to myself; Is it really going to be that much better as a “civilian”? So much of our lives is spent living for the next big thing that we sometimes miss the amazing and exciting things happening around us. Or we get so accustom to our current situation, it becomes mundane and we sort of become numb to it.

Don’t get me wrong, I am STOKED about this next season of my life. However, as the last day of putting on a uniform inches closer and closer, I have started thinking about all the things I am going to miss about the military. I think back to where I started at five years ago and how far I have come. I think about all the good times I had. All of the memories made. All of the friends who I’ve gotten to know. And honestly, there are parts of the military I will miss.

THE QUESTION I WANT TO ANSWER: WHY IS THE GRASS BROWN?

*DEFINITIONS*

Brown Grass: This place, situation, circumstance, person, or thing  “really sucks” 😦

Green Grass: This place, situation, circumstance, person, or thing “is awesome” 🙂

I want to focus more on the “brown grass” because when people encounter this they begin to complain, gripe, and whine about it.  I want to premise this with the fact I do understand there are some things in our lives that really are no fun at all. Situations where it really does ‘suck’.

We all know at least one person who is always complaining. Complaining about their situation, their boss, the work they have to do, the people they work with, and the list could go on. They think the grass is brown.

To the person who thinks the grass is brown where you are, I have a few questions for you.

1. Was it brown the last place you were at?

2. What about it makes it “brown”?

To the person who thinks the grass is brown where you are, I have a thought I would like you to entertain.

•  If everywhere you go, the grass is supposedly brown, there is a common denominator in that equation. And that common denominator is YOU. I’m not here to put you down, I’m here to encourage you to look in the mirror and take the log out of your own eye before you try to mess with the speck in the eye of the situation (paraphrase from Matthew 7:5)

OUR CIRCUMSTANCES DO NOT HAVE TO DEFINE US NOR DO THEY HAVE TO SHAPE OUR EXPERIENCE IN THE SITUATION.

To the person who is experiencing a legitimate patch of brown grass right now, I have a thought I would like to share.

• Your situation may be dark right now. It may not be fun. You may have your hands up in the air wondering why you’re experiencing this right now. But let me encourage you brother or sister. “ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. ⁵ For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”

– 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

† Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

– 1 Thessalonians 5:18

* It’s not the color of the grass that’s important. We have an amazing heavenly Father who we can go to for comfort. It’s not whether your situation is green or brown. It’s the condition of our heart in the circumstance that matters. Praise God that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. This includes every situation, brown or green.

# CHARACTER > CIRCUMSTANCE

This guy right here is the definition of taking a situation that was “brown” and making it “green”. He has plenty more videos on YouTube, so you if get a chance you should check him out!

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