Pulling Weeds
Forgive me if you find me in your garden, uninvited.
I may just be pulling a weed or two.
Don't worry, I won't damage or rearrange any plants, although for the latter, I may be tempted.
I just need to take care of the weeds.
After a couple of months working in gardens ~ 10 hours a day, 5 days a week ~ I am noticing things that I wouldn't have noticed otherwise.
Driving, walking, or cycling down a street ~ I notice.
If you have weeds, I see them.
I was tempted this morning to bend down and pull a few out of a stone mulch garden that I strolled past.
But I restrained myself.
It's my day off, after all.
But oh, did they taunt me.
They screamed "Pick me! Pick me!"
I imagined they did anyway.
Little voices challenging me to do something I would never do ~ go into someone's garden, unbidden, and start pulling.
And what a lesson in grace as well.
For how often do we see the 'weeds' in someone else and long so much to 'pull' them out?
How easy it is to see those 'weeds' when we are hurt by someone.
And those 'weeds' are real.
They validly offend, hurt and sadden us.
Yanking those 'weeds' is an immediate desire, to protect ourselves from further hurt.
Yet, often they have strong, deep roots, and we are hurt more severely.
That's where grace comes in.
When there is nothing we can do to change the offending person.
When we don't have the strength or invitation to pull those 'weeds'.
When the only way to get rid of the 'weeds' in someone else is to just let them be.
To extend kindness through the pain.
To love when it hurts.
To forgive when the thistles poke.
To let God take care of the 'weeds'.
He is the Master Gardener, after all.
As for those vexing weeds in a literal garden, unless I'm hired to pull them, I will try my best to ignore them.
My own gardens boast of a flourishing crop of weeds, so my gaze should fall on them instead anyway.
Let the gardeners take care of their garden.
Let God take care of His.
I may just be pulling a weed or two.
Don't worry, I won't damage or rearrange any plants, although for the latter, I may be tempted.
I just need to take care of the weeds.
After a couple of months working in gardens ~ 10 hours a day, 5 days a week ~ I am noticing things that I wouldn't have noticed otherwise.
Driving, walking, or cycling down a street ~ I notice.
If you have weeds, I see them.
I was tempted this morning to bend down and pull a few out of a stone mulch garden that I strolled past.
But I restrained myself.
It's my day off, after all.
But oh, did they taunt me.
They screamed "Pick me! Pick me!"
I imagined they did anyway.
Little voices challenging me to do something I would never do ~ go into someone's garden, unbidden, and start pulling.
And what a lesson in grace as well.
For how often do we see the 'weeds' in someone else and long so much to 'pull' them out?
How easy it is to see those 'weeds' when we are hurt by someone.
And those 'weeds' are real.
They validly offend, hurt and sadden us.
Yanking those 'weeds' is an immediate desire, to protect ourselves from further hurt.
Yet, often they have strong, deep roots, and we are hurt more severely.
That's where grace comes in.
When there is nothing we can do to change the offending person.
When we don't have the strength or invitation to pull those 'weeds'.
When the only way to get rid of the 'weeds' in someone else is to just let them be.
To extend kindness through the pain.
To love when it hurts.
To forgive when the thistles poke.
To let God take care of the 'weeds'.
He is the Master Gardener, after all.
As for those vexing weeds in a literal garden, unless I'm hired to pull them, I will try my best to ignore them.
My own gardens boast of a flourishing crop of weeds, so my gaze should fall on them instead anyway.
Let the gardeners take care of their garden.
Let God take care of His.
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