Pulling weeds; letting God’s light in your heart.

Pure happiness filled the space in my heart as I watched my granddaughter stretch her little leg to reach the next wood slab on the garden trail. Or doing the bunny hop as she calls it. She just loves to explore our backyard garden. She enters through the arched trellis that is beginning to grow wisteria up the side. The garden has special items that are handmade. We have decorated rocks and steppingstones made by our youngest son. There is a little miniature village in our bird bath filled with moss bedding. My husband made a cute little gnome home out of a tree stump. There are bird houses to welcome wildlife. You will find various places to sit and read or take a break from yard work. The playhouse gives a nice fun accent for children to enjoy. It is fun to take a walk on the wood slabs that lead you to each special place throughout the garden.

My garden is over 10 years in the making expanding in small, delightful ways each year. When I started the garden, it was a blank canvas. I named it my Serenity Garden. The first year was challenging work to get it started. I knew nothing about gardening or plants. Each year it is a little easier to care for. Especially since I like to plant shade plants that return each year. One thing that I do not look forward to each year is the weed pulling. There is a reason for spiritual wellness that began my garden project over a decade ago. A need for spiritual weed pulling was the cause.

My sponsor in Al-Anon (a recovery program for families and friends of loved ones with an addition to alcohol.) encouraged me to start a garden.  

What gave her the life experiences that I needed to address was going to happen naturally through this project. I did not realize it at that time, and I sure was not looking for more work to do. As a friend and support person, she would not have to do or say anything to help me. It would be up to me to have the vision and put the work in. The purpose of the garden was to bring me calmness, peace and distraction from my troubles, something else to focus on for self-care. There are so many lessons that came from caring for the garden. It is a love-hate relationship for me. There is daily demanding work that needs to take place, watering, weed pulling, pruning with constant care. There are days I do not want to drag myself out there.

Then there is natural care that is out of my control. God supplied the sun to help everything grow. When it rained, God gave me a break from watering the garden. When it storms or there is a drought, I must give exceptional care to everything. In time a natural covering of moss would give beauty to the steppingstones. I learned which plants needed to move for better sunlight and modified the design. I was learning how God cared for my garden as much as I did. My garden would not be what it is without all God’s help. Nothing would have grown without the sun, rain, natures resources and even the bees pollination. Everything had a purpose, even the weeds.

“As I work in the garden, the garden works in me.”

Soon I realized over the years how life lessons were in each task and even in the waiting. The garden taught me commitment, perseverance, and responsibility. One of the great lessons was an awareness of the importance of my physical and mental health. I can see the outcome of my hard work when sitting in the garden. Bushes and plants are taking years to mature, demonstrating a need for patience. As I work in the garden, the garden works in me. I learn what to work on in my life, like the weeds that are fighting to steal the sun from the plants. The weeds can steal the water and nutrients from the space the other flowers occupy. If I do not weed, they begin to strangle my plants eventually killing them. One summer when I fought severe depression, the weeds overtook the garden and it just looked like all the beauty was missing. The color of the garden was missing as the weeds had snuffed the flowers out. My garden becomes the reflection of my mental and physical state. How my garden looks, is most likely how I am in my core. If I see my garden neglected, I become aware I need to work on me. I am a visual person, so my garden is a great indicator of my self-care and health. Sometimes that means getting out there and tackling the garden first, to recognize what I need to address in my life.

Jesus loves to use parables with his disciples and anyone else who would gather and listen. There is one I have reflected on lately and that is Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43, the parable of the weeds.

You could feel the warmth of the sun, smell the sea air, and hear the waves hit the shoreline. Jesus was in the beautiful outside with his church during this time. The church being the disciples and other people who gathered to listen. Jesus stepped onto a boat and used that as his podium to speak from. He was in the house of his Father, the great outdoors, when he chose to share parables with the church. In Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus shares how when the seeds for the wheat were planted, and the farmers were sleeping, the devil came and planted seeds of weeds. The farmers servants asked if they should pull the weeds, and the farmer told them to wait and when the wheat would grow, then he would have them pull the weeds at the same time.

After Jesus and the disciples leave the crowd and return to the house, the disciples ask Jesus to explain the parable of the weeds further. Jesus shares with the disciples in Matthew 13:36-43 about the faithful and the unfaithful, the present and the future state of the church. He is worried that if the disciples did not understand what he was trying to tell them, then the others in the crowd who heard it, but also did not understand it then it did not reach their hearts. In his parable he is trying to let them know that the devil will come and try to separate us from him. He is explaining that we will not be able to tell who the faithful son and the unfaithful son is, only God will know.

Matthew 13:36-43 The Parable of the Weeds Explained (BibleGateway.com)

“Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.

“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age.  The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

We cannot let our guard down, or make exceptions, because the devil will sneak in there. The devil is devious and will disguise himself, so we must always be on alert. In this scripture there is a nightmarish description in this parable. For me it was easier to compare it to something relatable, like my garden. Think about what happens to the weeds after you pull them. If you toss your weeds somewhere on the property they will continue to grow and come back. The wind can blow them back where you do not want them. Which is why when you pull your weeds you burn them to be sure they do not return. When we are unfaithful, we do not get off the hook just by asking for forgiveness. We must make changes; we must rid ourselves of what caused us to be unfaithful to begin with. We must make sure those things do not stand in our way of having everlasting life with Jesus for eternity. As it is said in verse 41, “…weed out…everything that causes sin and all who do evil.” Separate yourself from those who are not good for your spiritual health. Weed out all evil things and let the sunshine in, where your Heavenly Father can assume space. Let all your beauty bloom!

Reflection questions:

1.      What needs weeding in your life?

2.      What can you do to self-care for your mental and physical health?

3.      What do you need God to supply you with to address these?
(Responses to 1 & 2)

4.      What does scripture say about God’s love for you through self-care?

Examples: Solitude & Prayer (Mark 1:35) An act of worship (Romans 12:1-2) About glorifying God (1 Corinthians 10:31) Take Care of yourself-your temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)

Prayer:

Almighty Counselor,

Help guide me to find a sense of belonging to your kingdom. I struggle sometimes with self-care, please help me find the space in my schedule to respect your recommendation for rest, reflection, and renewal. Help me to connect with others that will be healthy and positive influences in my life. Reveal what weeds I need to pull so your love can fill me and grow me. Lead me to a spiritual wellness in the name of Jesus! Amen.