Photo and Commentary ©2026 by Maylan Schurch
Sabbath, September 12, 2026
Friday morning of this week I was trudging along on my customary after-breakfast walk when I came across this scene. I’ve white-blocked-out the address for privacy’s sake, but for several years this home has been unoccupied. The mold-crusted minivan you see, along with an elderly sedan beside it, hasn’t budged, and though none of the vehicles’ tires is actually flat, they’re all bulging low. The potted plants you see are of ancient vintage, and the only thing that is done to the lawn is an occasional cursory mowing job, no doubt performed by someone desperately trying to keep the neighborhood’s property value from sagging.
But there’s one bright spot – yellow in fact – tacked between the garage doors. I know exactly what it is, because another was affixed to my own garage earlier this week. It’s a detailed offer to perform any of several services (and now I’m reading from my own copy) including gutter and roof cleaning, blowing and driveway washing, caring for decks and fences and retaining walls, as well as de-thatching and aerating and fertilizing the lawn.
There on the garage door is The Offer, patiently waiting for someone to find it and call the number. But there’s nobody home.
What’s interesting is the name of the lawn service company: Adonay’s Lawn Services. I’m sure it’s the purest coincidence, but Adonai (spelled with an “i” instead of a “y” at the end) is one of the Hebrew words used for “Lord” in the Old Testament. It’s not as important as Yahweh, but even nowadays when faithful Jews read Hebrew Bible aloud, they don’t pronounce the name Yahweh, considering it too sacred to utter. Instead, they use Adonai.
However you pronounce His name, the Lord Himself has a standing offer to revive your soul. He created it, and He is the only one qualified to give it an Eden makeover. To find out how to cooperate with Him, click the link just below: