Rachel, mother of three and wife of a federal agent currently stationed overseas, is discovering over the past weeks that coping without a husband is doing wonders for her prayer life.

What can God offer to a woman in search of a new lawn mower? Clearly several pairs of unexpected helping hands and advice on the all important question - green or red?

The division of labour for chores around the house has evolved slowly throughout my marriage, with a fairly happy balance.  Both Mark and I will turn our hands to anything, inside or outside and pitch in and help when the other needs a hand.  However, I have never, ever, in my whole entire life mowed a lawn.  When I was growing up my dad mowed, mum occasionally, but I never did.  After I got married the division of labour was strictly inside and outside jobs, and Mark mowed.  In my mind, it's a rule.  It's probably not very liberated of me, but really, the mower is noisy and smelly and the person pushing sweaty.  Too much like hard work, and Mark likes hard work.  Thank you Lord, I really don't want to mow.

So what does one do when one's main lawn mower man goes overseas?  One hires a lawn mower man!  A lovely retired man, who lives across the road from the in-laws has been mowing my lawn once a fortnight.  My oldest son was a bit unhappy that his regular source of income was going, he mows the front yard; so we organised for Mr Lawn Mower Man to do our huge backyard and we would be in charge of the front.  Simple I think, still no need for me to touch a mower.  Thank you Lord, I really don't want to mow.

All has been going well until recently.  When I say well, oldest son could mow, but not use the wiper sniper, so for awhile the front yard had a very long fringe around the edges.  But our lovely neighbour took pity on us and did the edges a few times when he did his.  (I did wonder if he was embarrassed to be living next to such an untidy yard!)  A few weeks ago we decided to mow the front lawn and oldest son thought he would try using the wiper sniper.  How hard could it be he thought, I've seen dad use it, no worries.  Well, our wiper sniper is special, so special that we couldn't start it.  We gave up (I was in a supervisory role), and thought that we should just mow.  Well, the mower wouldn't start.  We primed, pulled, kicked, filled it with oil and petrol but no luck.  Father-in-law came around and the verdict is the mower is shot and it is time for a new one.  Well Lord, I really don't want to mow, but I know how to shop!

So, a woman who never mows is now on an expedition to buy a new one.  So many questions, how big, what kind of starter-key or pull cord, and most importantly, do red mowers go faster?  Now Mark was informed of all this and agreed with buying a new mower, but as for all the other questions I had, wasn't very much help.  We took father-in-law to the mower shop and the salesman was very helpful (thank you Lord, you know I don't know anything about mowers) and we got a brand new green mower, which oldest son can push.  And Mr Lawn Mower Man was very impressed.  Hope Mark likes it, because there is no way I'm mowing a lawn.