weeds

Yesterday the sun was out.  The temperature was in the low 80s with a gentle breeze blowing.  We spent much of the day outside.  After a late afternoon visit to the farm and its playground, we met my Love in the front yard where he was planting grass seed.  Babydoll got comfy in a patch of shade in the middle of the driveway playing with a strawed cup.  N got to work helping Daddy distribute soil.  B was tied to the porch so he could stay out front with us.  I sat on the stoop and counted all the gifts God gave me in the moment.


Today it is dark and raining.  I am so glad I made myself go outside yesterday rather than worry about cleaning indoors.  There is time to enjoy nature and there is time to be productive in the home.  Thank you Lord for providing opportunities for both.  And thank you for sending rain to water the grass seed.


While I sat outside watching the boys at work, I moved toward the flower bed of blooming bulbs.  I got to work pulling weeds.  Of course God had a lesson in it for me.


Weeds.


They are the same color as grass.  Sometimes you don't even notice their presence until you are looking for them or they become so overgrown you can't ignore it any more.


It has been said weeds are a lot like sin.  You sit down to take care of the problem when it is convenient for you.  At first glance you see the areas where the weeds stand out.  Little isolated plants that are easy to spot.  Their roots are shallow and you pull them up easily.  You think, pulling weeds isn't hard.  I am making progress here.  Then you move on to the next patch of soil.  The weeds are thicker.  The roots have been their awhile and have grown together underground.  It becomes harder to remove it completely.  Sometimes you just choose to clip what is seen, but if you don't dig out the roots, the weeds will undoubtedly return quickly.  You keep working.  Soon you see weeds growing into the nearby grass.  The "sin" was completely hidden by what is supposed to be there.  To remove it, you have to touch the growth that you want to remain.  Suddenly you see weeds you didn't even know were there.  

Then there are the weeds that look like plants.  You aren't sure if it is just new growth from the nearby flowers.  They are frauds.  You decide to pull them up anyway.  If it hasn't matured by now, you think it must not belong there.

Time passes.  Dinner is overdo.  I looked back at the flowerbed I had been busy working in.  The soil had been turned.  It was previously firm with roots of sin holding it tightly together.  Now the ground is open and willing to be available for new healthy growth.

When it was time to go inside (the job was not yet done), there was evidence I had been dealing with sin weeds.  There was pain (in my back) and my hands were filthy.  The job got harder the longer I worked, but the reward made it completely worth the effort.