I love flowers. I love gardens. However wherever there are flowers and gardens there are weeds. Since moving to my new house I have learned that I’m going to have to learn to love weeds because they are EVERYWHERE – ALL THE TIME!! Instead of hating them and it being a chore to remove them, I’m trying instead to enjoy them because it means I will get to spend some quiet time outside amongst the birds, insects, wind, and trees. It also means I can have some additional time talking and pondering life with God.
Earlier this week I purchased some new flowers and dug into my flower bed at the front of my house. My bedroom window overlooks this garden and it is what you see as you walk up and down the sidewalk that leads to the front door and driveway. It needed some TLC and another round of weeding. I decided to enlist the help of my two teenagers (if only to remove them from their Fortnite games)!! They were definitely less than excited but did come out to assist me.
At one point my oldest couldn’t understand why we had to do this. That if God made the weeds, why should we be pulling them??
AHA!!!
Almost immediately she regretted asking me that question and almost instantly said, “MOM I don’t want to be a part of your blog”! Funny she said that, because that pretty much assured that I would find a way to make her a part of it! LOL!
Words have been heavy on my mind lately. The words we choose, think about, and say, shape so much of how we see things and react to things around us. One of my husband’s favorite songs by Toby Mac is Speak Life. The title of the song says it all. We need to speak life to those around us. Recently I’ve discovered just how much words can hurt and can heal me. How the words spoken with just the wrong tone can break at my heart. When these words come from someone I love it’s even more devastating. The struggle is real for me too. I often think the worst and oftentimes say the harshest words to those I love and those around me.
I like to think that I’m a good person, but even I sin each day. Every person does. Even those people that appear to have it all together. I fall to sin so often in the words that I think and say. These are only some of the weeds that grow in my garden. These weeds must be pulled often or they tend to overgrow my mind and blur my thoughts and actions. My garden cannot thrive amongst the weeds and I cannot thrive to be all that God wants me to be. I must be diligent at weeding my garden at all times.
And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good. – 2 Thessalonians 3:13
We may tire of weeding out our behavior or weeding our words, but we must never stop that weeding because whatever your “weed” is – it’s inhibiting the growth of the beautiful flower that God made you to be. We need to be kind and gentle towards each other daily. You never know what person is fighting what “weed”. There have often been days when my weeds have overtaken my garden. I’ve been mean, said mean things, and thought mean things. But this isn’t WHO I am. It’s not the flower I’m meant to be. By God’s grace I can continue to work tirelessly to pull those weeds from my garden because I will be forgiven. Tomorrow is another day to show others who I really am.
Titus 3:1-8 says: Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God, may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
We had completed the weeding and planting that morning and suddenly look over and see a bumble bee happily buzzing around a plant. The bee was reaping the benefits of a clean, fresh and weed free garden.
So to my oldest….this is why you continue to pick the weeds. You physically pick them now so that you will have the stamina and understand the importance of mentally weeding throughout your life!
God bless you today – your weeds AND your flowers!
Simply. Honestly. Emily. 