Pricey

August 2, 2019

It was a bit pricey; after all, it is John Deere factory equipment. But I think it’s worth it. Last year when I removed the mower deck from our tractor, I used a chain hoist to tip it up on edge so I could lean it against the back wall of the garage for storage. It’s a 60” deck, and so heavy it cracked the rafter that held the chain hoist. If I hadn’t propped it up with an 8’ two by four, I would likely have collapsed the back part of the garage roof, which understandably, I had no inclination to do. The deck is not only heavy, it’s awkward. Getting the chainfall hooked to it took some imaginative doing, and I still had to walk the deck back against the wall, delicately balancing it until I was able to prop it against the studs. It was not a fun job.

So when I saw a YouTube video about an attachment for the mower deck that allowed me to use the loader unit to pick it up, set it on edge, and move it around at will, I was intrigued. Like I said, it was John Deere pricey, but I bit, and today I installed the unit. Let me tell you, they were worth every penny! I drove up to the deck, hooked the loader arms into the attachment, picked the deck up, and locked the pins into place, and excepting the pins, all without leaving the seat of the tractor. No struggling with the chains, no grunting and groaning, no having the deck slip and crash to the floor. I picked up the deck, raised it vertically, set it on edge, then calmly scraped the old grass from its underside. When I was done, I moved back into the garage, lowered the deck to the floor, unhooked the pins, and backed away before driving over the ramps to install the deck for mowing. It took all of three minutes.

I was raised to be frugal, so I had to think about spending the money on those mounts. There was a time when think or not, I wouldn’t have been able to afford them. I am grateful tonight for something as simple as a quick mount system for my mower deck. The right tools make for an easier job, and at this stage in my life, easier adds up to better. It also makes me think of life. So often, we try to cobble together our own salvation. We know what needs to happen, so we gather the life tools we have, and do the best we can. Sometimes it works...sort of. But God has provided a better way. The forgiveness and cleansing available through the Cross eliminates the need to patch together a salvation and life of our own making. When we use the tools God gives, everything goes so much better. It’s costly, but unlike my deck attachment, the price has already been paid. It’s only necessary that we quit trying to do life on our own terms, and receive the work that’s been done for us in Christ. Oh yes, it’s worth it!