Finding the gift amidst the rocks…

I’ve discovered that the best way to relax, decompress or just move away from crazy is to be outside on my patio or in my yard doing something.  Last night after sitting through dinner with one said boy who did not like the choices I made for dinner, I needed to get away.  Being the end of a very long week, I grabbed the garden hose, my trowel, gloves and bucket, and headed out to the weed patch… I mean garden!  I had previously weeded the raised beds and now needed to tackle the space in between.

As I began pull these weeds out of the rocky ground, I realized that it was going to be much more work than I had anticipated on a weary Friday night.  I soaked the ground and began to pull.  Amidst the mud and dirt were rocks, to which the roots had attached themselves.  These stubborn weeds were not going to come out without a fight… and a fight we had!

My thoughts wandered as I struggled to beautify my garden space.  I began to think about the rocky soil that our house sits on and wished for different soil!  I so wanted this weeding experience to be easier so I could finish and get to planting.  While the ground and soil conditions are not ideal, these weeds flourish.  They come easily and leave with a fight!  The roots were wrapped around the rocks and fighting to stay in the ground.  And there I was, flailing around the space becoming muddier by the minute!

As I thought about these weeds, it made me think about my life.  What kind of soil do I have my life planted in?  Are my conditions ideal or do I live in a rocky place?  Are my roots living in healthy soil, making it easy to remove things that are not wanted, or are my roots attaching themselves to rocks, making it difficult to remove unwanted weeds in my life?  Life is not always pretty flowers and flourishing plants.  At times weeds pop up… how easy is it to remove them?  Have I planted my life in healthy, fertile soil?  Am I daily watering and nurturing it with things that will produce good fruit? Where are my feet planted?

I was only able to get a third of the space weeded.  I’m hoping the rain we are having right now will loosen the soil and make the next leg of this weeding journey easier!  I’ve decided that despite the conditions that I have to work with in my garden, I don’t need to have those same conditions in my life.  Although frustrated at the task last evening, I managed to find some simple beauty in the garden as the sun was beginning to set.  No matter what is before us, I believe that it’s important to find the gift in the circumstance. At times that is easier said than done…

Some very special people in my life are struggling with major health issues.  They are up against very rocky soil with very stubborn weeds.  I know that each one of them lives a life in fertile, healthy soil.  This rocky weed patch is temporary, but a huge struggle, nonetheless.  Despite these struggles, they are finding the gift in their circumstances and that blesses me.  As I sat in my garden grumbling about the unappreciative boy at my dinner table, I realized that I, once again, needed a change in my perspective.  My soil is not near as rocky as it could be, and for that I’m grateful.  My gracious God gave me a gift in the form of a muddy garden full of rocks and tall, stubborn weeds… and it’s my challenge to find the beauty.