For the readers who enjoy the game of American football, there is excitement in the air as I compose today’s blog post. It is the first week in September and college football has kicked off its season to the delight of many sports’ fans around me. And as I pore over the numerous articles detailing a team’s potential success, predictions about which teams will remain standing come the end of the season, and the spewing of statistics that are the driving force behind many of these conclusions, I find myself intrigued to learn that the top five teams in college football, according to the American Football Coaches Association averaged 38.4 yards per drive in 2019. So, if I have the opportunity this football season to witness a player achieve 50 Yards on a drive, I have a metric for understanding the significance of what has been achieved.
However, today my intent is to share a more significant achievement of someone gaining 50 Yards on a grass surface that has nothing to do with the sport of football. Let me introduce you to Rodney Smith, Jr., the owner of the non-profit, Raising Men Lawn Care Service and what he calls, “the 50 Yard Challenge, which asks boys and girls…to mow 50 lawns of their own,” shares Alex Macon. You see, Smith has spent the last few years devoting “himself to providing free lawn care for elderly and disabled people, single mothers, and veterans.” This 30-year-old Alabama man now travels across the country, mowing lawns for free in the summer and shoveling snow in the winter. Utilizing the power of social media, Smith shares when he is in a location and people in need of his service can contact him.
Alex Macon writes, “Smith aims to inspire, which makes social media almost as big a tool as his mower. Raising Men Lawn Care’s slogan, which Smith is quick to repeat, is ‘Making a difference one lawn at a time.’ If he cuts the grass for someone in California, a girl in Texas might see it on Instagram and be motivated to do some good of her own in her hometown. That one lawn can have an outsize effect, something he tries to get across when he is invited to speak to kids. He gives young people a way to take responsibility and to take action…’[I’m teaching] the importance of giving back to the community and of hard work,’ [Smith] says. ‘Giving and helping others in need. That’s the main goal.’”
Reading Smith’s story was a suggestion from my colleague, Patricia Hamilton, as we collaborated on a presentation for her freshman English class on the topic of Flourishing at Life. Hamilton’s aim is to encourage her students to consider how they might mirror Smith’s actions to be Good Neighbors by finding their own specific challenge of 50 Yards. As these Emerging Adults begin their journey to discovering their own God-given calling on their lives, perhaps, like Smith, they might find what they’ve “been waiting for. And once that happens, once you realize the meaning of your life might smell an awful lot like freshly cut grass, you don’t have to ask too many more questions.”
What Smith, and many other servants dedicated to being better neighbors, have discovered is that when they develop a Habit of Awareness of seeing other’s needs, God just might reveal a very unique way to use their specific skill set to make the world a better place. To me, this is a perfect example of what it means to have a flourishing life. What Smith is accomplishing is not easy, there are financial costs, time and travel requirements, and investments too numerous to name, yet each time a young boy or girl achieves the 50 Yards, there is a ripple effect of goodness into the community. “Kids who follow in Smith’s footsteps realize they can make a difference, and that the phrase isn’t just a cliché on a T-shirt. Building connections with people in need [Relational Equity] is what gives Smith’s mission its purpose. That’s what will last. Otherwise they’re just cutting grass that keeps on growing back.”
I encourage you to read for yourself about Smith’s journey to make the world a place where kindness flourishes. From random acts of kindness to organized programs, we can all contribute to making the lives of others better. Please consider sharing similar stories in the comments below of others who are living a flourishing life through the investment in others.
References:
Macon, A. (2019, August). The man who’s mowing the world. Southwest, The Magazine.
AFCA Insider. (2021). The Truth Behind Why Field Position Matters Over Everything Else. American Football Coaches Association. Retrieved from https://insider.afca.com/the-truth-behind-why-field-position-matters-over-anything-else/
Flourishing @ Life 
This article is very inspirational! It originally caught my eye because I am a sports person, but it sends more important message for anyone reading it. The 50-yard challenge that Rodney Smith Jr. sets an example for all of us to engage in servant leadership. He challenges people to go out, be kind, and perform good deeds to those around them, but he also engages in this self-sacrifice. He knows that if he goes out and sets an example, he can inspire others to do the same. He does this at his own loss in many ways, but he knows he is making a difference in people’s lives that are less fortunate than him. Actions like this are examples of what Jesus did and wants us to do. My pastor from my home church is a good example of someone who does kind acts like this. He is always just one phone call away from helping someone no matter the circumstance. He also is someone who goes out and intentionally helps the less fortunate, mainly through carpentry and roofing, since those are his skills. This article and my pastor are both motivations to go out in the world and do good.
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