"On Weeds"

weed:  n.  any plant regarded as unwanted at the place, where and at the time it is growing.

I weeded Bruce's garden pathways for the hundredth time today.  While that IS an exaggeration, it wasn't the first time nor will it be the last they are weeded.  When I began my gardening business a most rude awakening came when I returned to a client's garden and discovered that the pristine state I had left it in a week or two prior had turned into an area overridden with weeds.  I  had honestly expected to find it the way I left it.  Perhaps that is the definition of living in denial.

One of my clients is of the thinking that a weed is a misunderstood flower.  Not !!  My feeling is there is no such thing as a good weed and categorize them all as "nasty"--briars, ivy and morning glory alike and all those, large and small, which blanket a space.  Each season showcases a different variety which fills lush, fertile soil, nestling in amongst beds of perennials or filling bare spots with a carpet of green.  

Growing in the most desolate of soil as well, appearing in crevices in sidewalks and driveways even, they come in uninvited on the wind or hitchhiking on birds, cats and dogs, or other critters.  Leave a single one unchecked, and it will spread its seeds as though it was the only one left in civilization with the need to propagate the earth.  It is said a weed seed can lie dormant in the soil for 10 years and that, as we dig in the soil, we are actually cultivating it, exposing it to the warmth of the sun, creating an environment for the growth of our own worst enemy.

In the simplest of terms, weeds choke out life.  They are not plants which co-exist but suffocate and inhibit the growth and development of neighboring flora.  One can't ignore them, or they come out on the winning side.  They must be dealt with and constantly kept in check and under control, or they will engulf all that is beautiful and lovely.  In the war on weeds, eradication is a top priority.

In addition to our physical gardens, each of us has a garden within us.  Residing in the inner self, our spiritual self, it does exist, and the fruit of what grows within is revealed and cannot be hidden.  For example, if bitterness, anger,  jealousy, or greed is growing within it is evidenced in the way one's life is lived. When those things which are of the flesh are dealt with, including idolatry, lack of sexual restraint, quarreling, and dissensions, the fruit of the Spirit is manifest--love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  The care and tending of this garden is more important than tending any other area in our lives. 

How can one tend something that is invisible?  The very essence of spiritual self is not something we can reach out and touch, yet nothing is more real.  For me, weeding my inner self begins with the acknowledgement that a need exists.  Next is the concession I am unable to take care of it on my own.  The One who created me is a Master Gardener as well.  He knows what needs to be taken care of, He knows how to do it, and He does it well.  He actually specializes in the elimination of those things which would stifle and overtake life.

Any garden, large or small, which has been lovingly maintained is a feast for the eyes and brings joy to the soul.  Free of competition from errant, wayward growth, it begs to be savored and experienced.  And so it is when coming in contact with one whose inner garden has been nurtured and cared for by the Master.  The proper pruning, cultivation, development of rich, fertile soil, and removal of undesirable vegetation all provide the habitat for fruit which is enriching and beneficial to all.  Living life with Him, it is an attainable and worthwhile goal.

Christ spoke of seeds and weeds in a parable.  Grain seeds were sown in a patch of thorns where they were quickly choked out.  He explained that the seeds are the word and "....those sown among the thorns:  these are the ones who hear the word, but the cares of the world,, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing."  Mark 4:19 

In a spiritual garden, as in a physical garden, weeds cannot be neglected, and the uprooting of them is always the goal.  Those who submit to the work and the handiwork of God are both blessed and a blessing.

May your garden flourish with life and love at the touch of our Father's hand.