In between rainstorms yesterday morning, I went out to pull some weeds from my flower garden and got nice and muddy, but it was peaceful and quiet. The birds were chattering as they had their breakfast, and the air was still before the storms moved in.
I feel God close by when I’m pulling and digging pesky weeds. I’m outside and away from my phone and other distractions, which is always good. And weeding requires me to be on my knees, which helps me be more open to what God may be trying to get through to me.
I’m continually reminded while I’m weeding of how my spiritual life gets full of ‘weeds,’ those irritating thoughts and actions we commonly call sin.
Some of the weeds are easy to get rid of by simply pulling them up with my fingers, just like some of the unhealthy thoughts that run through my brain that I can easily dismiss. But others have roots that run deep, like one tenacious bugger that had a taproot that kept going for over a foot.
Sometimes I act in ways that are rooted in deep hurt or anger from past offenses. Extracting these from my life can take time and may even be painful.
Then there are the weeds that are tricky because they look so much like a flower that I want to keep. Right now I have wild violets all over my flower garden that have pretty little purple flowers — but I know that if I don’t start working on them now, they will take over in a few weeks.
The same thing can happen in my spiritual life with feelings and actions that may seem innocent, but if not checked, sneak up on me and cause destruction in my relationships. These include jealousy, envy, suppressed anger and resentment and other seemingly innocuous feelings that seep into my spirit.
In his parable of the Sower in Matthew 13, Jesus warns us not to let weeds and thorns choke out our desire to be productive for him:
The seeds that fell among the thornbushes are also people who hear the message. But they start worrying about the needs of this life and are fooled by the desire to get rich. So the message gets choked out, and they never produce anything. (Matt. 13:22, CEV)
Do we let worries about our daily life and finances get in the way of our spiritual growth?
My tools for weeding in my garden are a digging tool and shovel, and when pressured, a little Round-up. For my spiritual garden, I find that prayer is the best tool I have. I need to continually ask God to show me where I’m hiding the thorns that keep me from being productive for him and to throw them out!
Under the Magnolia Tree 