Tuesday, August 21, 2007

IS GOD SPEAKING? ABOUT THE WEEDS

I posted back in February about some brownies I baked here and how God often speaks to me in every day occurrences I am involved in.


Last spring we decided to plant vinca minor in a fairly large section of our back yard. We have a very large back yard and felt this would make it a little easier for Mickey not to have quite so much mowing. The area where we planted the vinca had been bermuda grass. Mickey rototilled it and put down chemicals to try and kill out the bermuda. All last summer and fall I worked very hard pulling up the bermuda grass that kept coming up amidst the vinca plants.

This spring, when it was time to weed, I was having some back problems and was not up to weeding. Mickey assured me, "It's okay, the vinca will choke out the bermuda." I did not agree with him but was hoping he might be right since I could not do the weeding. Let the tell you........the bermuda grass is so thick and tall that you would hardly know there was any vinca planted there!

Yesterday we had a very nice, slow, gentle 2" rain. What a blessing since we have been having no rain and 104-105 degree temperatures. Also, since our temperature was not going to be in the 100's today I decided to begin to tackle weeding the vinca.

One of the reasons I don't mind weeding is because I have always been aware of God showing me, as I weeded, what a similarity there is between weeds and sin in our lives. The hours I spend weeding are kind of like a spiritual lesson about sin vs. God. About how it's our choice whether we are going to give in to the sin (weeds) or whether we are going to fight the good fight and do what ever and how ever it may take to uproot and get rid of sin in our lives. This is a necessary step so the new life that God has planted within us can not only grow but flourish.

This is not a new thought to me and I am just reminded of it every time I weed. Today I realized something even deeper on the Spiritual level. The thing I was noticing this time, since the bermuda had been given the opportunity to grow as it pleased, was that the bermuda runners were literally wrapped around the vinca runners. In a lot of instances when I pulled up the bermuda I also pulled up the precious vinca runners. So not only does the vinca (good) not choke out the weeds (sin) but the vinca (good) actually gets so entwined with the weeds (sin) that the bad cannot be pulled without harming some of the good. Thus setting us back some in our walk with our Lord. Jesus himself spoke of something similar when He spoke of the wheat and the tares.

"But while man slept his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?" Matthew 13:25-27

I'm aware I'm taking a little liberty with these verses over the example of Christians being sown among non-believers but I think it can be applied here. We all have weeds (sin) of our former lives and from our fallen nature. Believing in Jesus as Savior and surrendering your heart and life into His hands as Lord does not instantly get rid of the sin (weeds) in our soul (soil). That is something that we have to work at constantly. It is a never ending job and we will never be completely free of the struggle until we are given a new body and enter Heaven.

The main point to me is.......I can be vigilant and pull up every sin (weed) as they begin to appear and be making continual progress in my walk with my Jesus. Or, I can hope sin will automatically be choked out by the new life. Or I can try and ignore those sins (weeds) and allow them to get all tangled up in my new life and actually harm the progress I've made. I choose to be diligent in taking care of the little sins and not allow them to cause me much harm and damage later.

How about you? Have you been weeding on a continual basis?

Added later: I wrote this post yesterday and did not get it onto my blog. Today, as I went out to weed some more, the Lord showed me yet something else. Mickey came out this morning and began helping me with the weeding job. Isn't that just what God does.......when we begin to work on those areas of our lives that need some weeding, or even if we are busy watering the plants that are growing well......God always sends in just the right person or thing to help us!!!!! It may be a phone call, just when you needed it. It may be that He has moved upon someone else to post just the post you needed for this very moment or day. It may be the person who stops to just say "hi". But God does, and always will, send just the help we need when we are truly looking to Him to do the right thing.

Many of you have been that encouragement to me and I thank God for you!



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23 comments:

Pen of Jen said...

Wow! Susan I love this. I never really thought of it this way, although I have spent many a time weeding. The Lord had a lesson there for me and I just didn't see it.

I would weed and think of how incredible the Lord was in all His creation, but I too need to reflect on this and weed daily!!!

I am praying that all is well with you and I commiserate with the weather.(we lost power yesterday for 1 hour...it was 103)

Momma Roar said...

Susan, this is a terrific post to think about.

I've shared about my sister with you before and something has come up (yet again) that leaves me frustrated. I know I am just as much to blame.
I believe the bermuda grass has been entangled in my vinca, but I don't know what it is or where to find it. I'm praying God sends someone my way to help me figure out what I need to get rid of and pull it out. So we can restore peace to our relationship.
Thank you for these words to meditate on today.

Knit-Wit said...

Great observations, Susan.

You could take the part about the good being intertwined so much with the bad that the good must be weeded also (thus setting us back in our walk) one step further... sometimes good things can detract us from what we should be doing ie: ministries which get in the way of family. Thus our need to scale back and reprioritize.

Tracy said...

Susan,

I love this post, and I really don't feel like any of it was a stretch. It was a beautiful illustration. Thank you!

TO BECOME said...

Susan, this was a great post and really touched my heart. Your examples were so good. We have to be careful about those weeds in our lives before they take over our lives. Thank you, connie from Texas

Frazzled Farm Wife said...

Susan...such a good analogy! I realized that I need to work on my "weeds" more on a daily basis...and to let others help me with it!

Myrna said...

Thank you Susan. You have really given us something to think about! You have the amazing ability to apply spiritual concepts to every day life in such a real way.


You better careful out there in the heat pulling up that Bermuda--the real life green kind!:-)

Susie said...

I couldn't agree more with you on this post. I am constantly pulling weeds, spiritually and physically. I think the hardest part for me is letting others help me in the process. God is working on me with that one.

Anonymous said...

Susan, weeding was my most dreaded chore and punishment when I was growing up, so I have lots of experience with it =) You are so right, in comparing those weeds to sin. I will think I have something mastered, like say, eliminating sarcastic comments around the home. Then I will let one slip because it's kind of funny, then another that's a little meaner, and another, till soon, sarcasm chokes out kindness in the home!!! My mom always scolded me when I did not pull the weed out by the root, because of course it would grow back quick, same thing with sin. And you are so right about how God sends helpers... my blog friends help me keep out the weeds in my life!! =)

Susan Skitt said...

Susan, weeding, I can't stand it, maybe because I'm not much of a gardener but since we have a flower bed and bushes out front and back, it's necessary. I let my weeding go far too long lately. I attacked it all day on Saturday and oh was my back aching on Sunday. Your post was a good reminder to keep after those weeds outdoors and "indoors" as well. What a tangled mess we can make, huh? Also, loved the thought of others helping... God's good. Blessings today my friend.

Tina said...

I have heard this analogy before and it is good. I have an allegory book called Palace Beautiful and the same analogy is used there when he let his beautiful garden get overgrown with weeds.

A Captured Reflection said...

This was spot on Susan. I loved reading it and felt fierce wanting to do some weeding and get that stuff out by the roots. God has been showing me some weeds, at first you feel like having a pity party, then you feel differently, knowing that the Lord is at work, creating a beautiful garden, his planting and the attitude changes. It's when we think we're ok we're in trouble. Thanks for this, it was awesome

Lori said...

What a great post.

What a great way to compare weeding your lawn/garden to weeding sin out of our lives.

... said...

what a great visual for us to understand how sin can get a grip on us. thanks for sharing.

Melissa said...

What a wonderful post to read before I turn in for the day. I'll be able to dwell on it a bit and let it sink in. :)


~Melissa

MightyMom said...

how inspiring!!!

thank you.

Diane @ A Watered Garden said...

Hi Susan, this is a great post with a thoughtful reminder for us to be diligent in "weeding" the gardens of our souls. We have a flowerbed along the walkway to our front door which I try to keep weeded a few times a week. Now each time I'm out there pulling up weeds...I will remember your object lesson. Thanks! Blessings, Diane

inspired said...

amazing grace ;o]

Trella said...

Great post! Thanks for commenting about finding a church. I will have to go read the article.
Blessings,
Trella

Michelle-ozark crafter said...

This is a wonderful post dear Susan and I greatly enjoyed it. So many, many truths in here. It gives me a lot to reflect on and think about.

Anonymous said...

Such great words Susan, as always. Thanks for your wisdom. We know wisdom does not just happen, but it comes from studying and knowing the Word. You are a true blessing to me and I'm so thankful for every time you share. Thank you, too, for always hearing my bell....

Sharon Brumfield said...

Good post!
It is along the lines of my pool post. God is good and He still speaks to His people.It is like a radio--if you are tuned in you will hear Him.
Keeping pulling those weeds and I'll keep cleaning out the pool. ;)

weavermom said...

I don't think I'll ever look at weeding in quite the same way. Insightful you are my friend!