The Grass is Always Greener...

I read an interesting story in the Tampa Bay paper recently. It's about a man who lives Hudson, Florida; his name is Andy Law.

One morning, as Andy was reading the daily news, he came across a story that shocked him. Joseph Prudente, a sixty-six year old man in nearby Beacon Woods had gone to jail for the crime of having a brown lawn. He had received notices from the local homeowners association that his grass wasn't green enough for community standards, but he overlooked them. Prudente has some health problems right now and is struggling financially. He can barely make his mortgage payment; he doesn't have the resources to take care of his lawn.

So the homeowner's association did what was in their power: they filed a court order against him and had him arrested, without the option of posting bail.

Here's where Andy comes in. He has troubles of his own. His business is failing, he is on the verge of losing his own house, and he is considering bankruptcy. But as he read Joseph Prudente's story, Andy decided that something must be done. "This," he thought, "is a problem that can be solved."

He began calling everyone he knew to help. Soon the yard was full of people working. Others dropped off gifts. Another man came to repair the sprinkler. Andy borrowed some lawn equipment and convinced a nursery to donate sod. By the end of the day, the yard was done: covered with new green grass, red mulch, flowers, and a working sprinkler.

At this time, the Tampa Bay paper reports, there was a sudden, thick downpour. Jennifer Prudente, Joseph's wife, stood in the rain with her arms open wide. "Our luck is changing," she said.

The next day Joseph was released from jail. Though he still faces fines and court costs, he is a free man today ... as long his grass stays the right shade of green. (And you thought your neighbors were picky.)

As far as I'm concerned, this story is more about Andy than it is about Joseph. Yes, it's outrageous that you can go to jail in America for having brown grass; I realize that some will see only this aspect of the story.

More impressive is the fact that one young man, also down on his luck, put his own problems on the back burner long enough to make a difference in someone else's life. This is an example of Paul's words in Philippians being put into practice: "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." (Philippians 2:4)