Growing Like a Weed….

Each morning, I spend time in my garden tending the plants, pulling the weeds, and willing them to grow and produce some fruit!  So far, the zucchini’s win out and they are the only ones producing.  It has been a very slow growing season.  This morning, I ventured out with my coffee in one hand and the weeding bucket, clippers, and hose in the other.  I did my usual stroll through each bed and look what I found!

The journey in the garden this summer has been slow and steady.  Much time and care have been put into planting each one in the perfect spot, covering the soil with compost to hold in the warmth and water, watching the weather and knowing when to water and when to hold off, and then the hard part… watching and waiting.  It truly is a journey of care and patience… waiting for all of the efforts to pay off.  It certainly has not been in my preferred window of time.  The garden is on its own timeline and I just have to continue tending our relationship and it will all pay off.

It reminds me of my relationship with Christ.  It too, is a journey of care and patience… waiting to see His tender hand of mercy work in the different parts of my life.  Some things are flourishing like the zucchini and other parts are slower to grow.  All the while, I must “tend my garden” everyday… anxiously awaiting for His fruits to blossom in my life.  It’s work, but the reward is great!

As I ventured over to other parts of my yard, I couldn’t help but be accosted by the weed that grows all over!  It is a vine that wraps itself around the other plants, eventually taking them out.  I believe it might be called Morning Glory, as it produces pretty little pink and white flowers.  Each morning as I look out onto the property, I see these sweet little flowers popping up all over!  From a distance, it looks nice!  It’s not until you get up close that you notice how the weed has taken over everything and will eventually win the battle if not attended to.  Deceptive little plant it is.

Anywhere there is soil and sunlight, this pesky weed will grow!  One good thing about it is that it’s roots do not grow deep and it is very easy to pull it out.  It brings to mind the enemy and his stronghold in my life if I don’t tend to my garden each day.  Satan pops up in the form of very appealing things of the world and will take over if given the opportunity.  He comes in the form of beautiful things that I am drawn to… much like the pretty little flowers that dot the field each morning.  How harmless can those flowers and vines be anyway?  Well, they suck the life out of the plants they entwine themselves with, and the good plant will eventually die.  The enemy does the same thing.  He tries to entwine himself around the things of my life and cause great damage.  The baffling part is that I don’t have to do anything for him to take over.  There is no work involved…. he flourishes anywhere… anytime.

My thoughts today are drawn to my own life and the work that I must do each day.  I don’t ever hesitate to take my coffee out to the garden and tend my plants.  That is a very visual, hands-on journey.  I can see the fruits of my labor.  My walk with the Lord is not always so easy.  I openly admit that I don’t always run to Jesus each morning with my coffee in hand, eager to tend my garden with Him.  Why is that?  I don’t think I’m alone.  I long for that to be the first and most important thing that I do in my day.  Unfortunately, I’ve let those pesky weeds get in the way and distract me.  My work ahead is to begin pulling them out and replace them with more time in my Garden, tending the relationship with my heavenly Papa.