Sometimes I like to pull weeds. Truth be told, I like it a lot.
There’s something about kneeling down, grabbing an unwanted plant by its base, and yanking it out with vigor and force that feels so satisfying. Ridding the earth of that which is unwelcome and clearly evil (or so it appears to the one weeding).
And if I’m mad, I’m even better at pulling weeds. I grind my hands knuckle deep into that earth and tug for all I’m worth.
Take that, you nasty weed! I don’t want you! Get outta here! And don’t come back!
But sometimes in my weed pulling frenzy, I accidently pluck out a plant that I really wanted to keep. Such as a strawberry plant. Or beautiful flower. No sooner than I pick it, do the regrets show up on my emotional doorstep.
Why didn’t I slow down? Why wasn’t I more cautious? If I’d just taken a little more time, I wouldn’t have ruined the future of that sweet little plant.
Of course, I can try to replant it. Sometimes I’m successful. Most often I’m not.
And as I contemplate my love for weeding and my longing to rid my garden and lawn of that which I deem undesirable, I’m struck by the reality of how often God has to weed me. He deliberately and lovingly plucks out my prickly pride, the growing greed, the deeply rooted bitterness and ugly envy out of my heart.
And sometimes the fruits of the Spirit that have been slowly and painstakingly developing are so tangled up in those weeds, He has to start the garden of my soul completely over, clearing everything out of the way so the good things can grow again.
God does a much better job of weeding than I do. He knows how to gently sort through, pruning and tending as He goes along in His patient fatherly way.
How about you? Are you actively growing good fruit, or are you presently being weeded?
We can trust that the Master Gardener has it all under control and He will produce a glorious garden in His perfect timing. Because the best garden of all is fashioned by the loving and faithful hands of our God. He knows the exact amount of water needed. The best soil. He brings the sunshine right on cue. And He recognizes the perfect time to weed out anything that will get in the way of our growth. But we must be willing to submit ourselves to the master plans of the Gardener.
As a father tends his children, so our Father weeds us — gently and carefully. With the perfect amount of firmness and love. To bring forth a beautiful garden. Plentiful and flourishing. For His glory.
Anne-Renee Gumley
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Good morning, Anne-Renee!
Oh my goodness! This could be my Mom writing this exact post! Like you, my Mom loves to garden, loves to weed, plant new plants and such. I think you and my Mom would have a lot in common with your garden not to mention all the other similar stuff the two of you do at opposite ends of the country.
I guess you could say I’m in the process of being both weeded and growing fruit. Or better yet, I’m being weeded so I can bear more fruit. I think the Lord is weeding out the weeds of me wanting to put me first. The Lord is always working with me on me dying to myself everyday. The fruit God wants me to bear is the fruit of serving others.
Thank you for your wonderful words of wisdom. Have a wonderful day!
In Christ,
Bethany
“I’m being weeded so I can bear more fruit.” — Love this, Bethany! Yes, we are all a work in progress. That daily/hourly/minute-by-minute dying to self can be uncomfortable tough stuff. And yet, God in His mercy brings about the BEST fruit from the unpleasant process of being weeded. Bringing about His glorious beauty from our messy ashes. Sure appreciate your comments and feedback! Hugs for your day…
Hi Anne-Renee,
I feel so honored that you like my comments/feedback. Yes, I sometimes don’t like the process of dying to myself. It can be pretty uncomfortable to say the least. I have my fair share of messy ashes, but thankfully, that’s all in the past. I’m moving forward with the Lord. Hugs back to you! Goodnight!
In Christ,
Bethany
We’re right there with you, friend.
P.S. My Mom has similar sad stories about different times she’s been weeding and accidentally pulled up a plant she meant to keep. Like you, my Mom has re-planted those said meant-to-keep plants as well. Some re-plantings have been met with success while others haven’t pulled through so well. Don’t worry, you aren’t the only one who pulls out the good plants along with the weeds. I think there are similar stories from others as well about the same thing:-)