It’s not always easy doing what I know I need to when the weather outside is so perfect but, today, for better or worse, was lawn day. After three hours of mowing, edging, pulling weeds, and picking up sticks in the hot sun, it was done.
Looking back at the yard while taking the dogs for a walk was satisfying, yet, I know it will be only a few days and I’ll need to do it all over again. Now that we have a mower that has power drive and a system down, it’s not too hard. The most tedious part of the work is pulling the weeds.
Every Spring, I put weed-n-feed down and, still, those pesky dandelions come back. Interestingly, Texas happens to have some of the most beautiful wild flowers around. Unfortunately, the ones that like my yard are the little yellow ones!
Pulling them by the root is nearly the only way to get rid of them. That takes bending over, digging around them, and reaching into the ground to pull them out. A lot of extra work is needed verses letting the mower pull me around the yard.
I seem to see life analogies everywhere and those weeds are no exception. The weed analogy is one I’m sure most have heard before. For me, it does ring true that, if we stop caring for our heart, those weeds will begin to grow.
Just what are they? I can think of a few weeds that creep in from time-to-time like bitterness, pride, fear, vanity, selfishness, self-pity, and anger to name just a few. How do they get there when it seems like I had already dealt with them?
One way is simply being carried by the winds of life. Every day we’re faced with decisions and choices. Those choices if good, help keep our hearts clear of the weeds. The choices not for good, even if just thoughts or small white lies for example, all plant those weeds where they can begin to take root.
In our yard, sometimes the dandelions grow in places we can’t see them and, after several weeks, become almost like a tree with deep roots. They also have sharp needles that make them hard to hold onto when pulling out of the ground. The same is true about the weeds we let into our heart. If left alone, they grow larger, taking root and hurt even more to pull out.
It’s when we get them early that it’s easier to get rid of them. The only way to pull the weeds in our hearts is to confess them. To get them out we need to admit they’re there. Then, we can ask the Master Gardener for His help in pulling them from our hearts. All that He requires is for us to acknowledge they are there and then to let Him do what He does best.
For some, the hardest part will be to acknowledge them because, like in Texas, they can have a beauty of their own. They may even smell nice. But, in the end, they will take over the yard of our heart and consume the life out of us.
Every day, I start my day upstairs on my knees with my hands lifted high saying the Lord’s prayer. It doesn’t take long, but by starting my day giving him my will and asking Him to forgive me as I forgive others, it’s like a fresh slate. It’s like pulling the weeds when they’re small before they take root.
This week, I want to encourage you to let the Master Gardener help you remove some of those nasty weeds that may have taken root. It begins with acknowledging they are there and then asking His help to remove them. It may take time, but, in the end, your heart’s lawn will be beautiful and green…
Love always friend,
Brad
