Pulling Weeds

In my garden, I have encountered a variety of weeds. Many of them are very hardy. Some have a single root. If that weed is pulled out by the root, wonderful! If not, it will come back. Others have complex root systems that make them next to impossible to pull out. They must be dug out. In those cases, I remember that the Lord said He was going to leave the tares and the wheat to grow together, and do the weeding at the end of time. Sometimes I make a similar decision. I will deal with those weeds again and again in order to save the good plants that are growing close to them.

The task of weeding reminds me of sin. Maybe you, like me, have discovered that weeding, like ridding your life of sin, involves the following.

Weeding is backbreaking work. If I don’t stay alert and “prayed up,” sin keeps coming back. If I don’t keep up with the weeding, the weeds overtake the garden. Vigilance is the key. Bill Gaither says there is a plaque on the wall of his home in Alexandria, Indiana that summed up his parents’ attitude about
 faith, “Pray for rain, but keep hoeing.”



It helps if the weeds can be pulled up by the roots. If possible, it is best to stop sin at its source. For instance, my nature is to panic and be fearful of unknown situations. That is the opposite of faith. When fear raises its ugly head in my life, I have to go back to the basics and trust God.

Sometimes I need help. The task of weeding is a bit overwhelming sometimes, especially since my husband and I travel much of the year. Occasionally someone will sit with me and help me pull out weeds. Likewise, an accountability partner can often notice an area that is displeasing to God that I have overlooked.

Weeding is easier if the soil is soft or wet. If you ever tried to pull weeds in hard, dry soil, you know how hard it can be. Likewise, it is easier to dispose of sin when it is fresh and recognizable as sin. The longer sin is left to harden in our lives, the harder it is to remove.

As I work in my flower beds, I often reflect on the fact that Jesus gave many illustrations using seeds, trees, fruit, plants, sowing, pruning and reaping. As a result of the fall, the ground was cursed and work became an effort instead of a joy. There remains, however, the beauty of God’s creation all around us. If we are privileged enough to have the stewardship of a plot of earth in which we can sow and reap, then we partner with God in His garden enterprise.

Weeding, both in my garden and in my life, is well worth it. As I observe the flowers in my garden, I am reminded that a garden is not just one flower. It is many flowers. You and I are part of a big garden that God has planted. Flowers need attention. But don’t we love the attention our Heavenly Gardener showers on us? We are linked to His Living Vine. We need each other. Together we can “bloom where we are planted” so that others can see Jesus in us.

Oh, the joys of those who . . . delight in doing everything the Lord wants. . . . They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season without fail. Their leaves never wither, and in all they do, they prosper (Psalm 1:2-3 NLT).

The Wit and Wisdom of Yogi Berra

If you live in America, you may have quoted a "Yogi-ism" and not even have known it. If you have ever quipped, "It's deja vu all over again" or "it ain't over 'til it's over," you quoted Yogi Berra. One of the few baseball managers to have won pennants in both the American and National Leagues and elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972, Yogi is as well known for his sayings as his famous coaching.

Yogi was a talker. During baseball games, Yogi talked to the opposing batters in order to distract them. Although his response to his reputation for originating so many quotable sayings has been, "I never said most of the things I said," he doesn't seem to mind being quoted so often!

Since I travel so much, one of my favorite Yogi quotes is "Why buy good luggage? You only use it when you travel."

Yogi said, "If you don't know where you're going, you'll wind up somewhere else." He may not have
intentionally been referring to eternity, but it certainly applies. After death, there are only two possible destinations - heaven or hell. Those who trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord can know they are going to heaven when they die. Those who don't trust Him are going to wind up somewhere else.

And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God (1 John 5:11-13).

Remember When?

After my parents and my husband's parents died, I browsed through countless photos. Many of them produced questions in my mind. Who were all the people in those pictures and what was life like for them? Were we related and if so, how? Have I been influenced by their lives? If so, in what way?

Some of those old photos brought back memories. Even as I pull up Facebook or read a family member's blog, many of the posted pictures bring back memories. Scrolling through my photo album on my laptop does the same thing. More recent than the old family photos, they still remind me of something that has happened in the past.

Often an item in my home brings back memories. If it was a gift, it reminds me of the giver and the occasion when I received it. If it was something I saved for, it reminds me of the time and effort put in to acquire it. If it was something that was an incredible bargain, it reminds me of how God has provided for me over the years.

Memories can be therapeutic or painful. Some memories bring great distress while others produce joy. Sometimes memories are a bit faulty. The good old days didn't seem so good while we were in them; however, looking back reveals that change and progress were not always what we had hoped for.

Memories help put life in perspective sometimes resulting in a desire to return to a slower, simpler life. Remember when children played outside instead of hanging out in front of a television set? Remember when prices of gas were so much cheaper? Remember when people walked to the store because there was a local store available to walk to? Remember when a piece of pie did not put on three extra pounds? Remember when life was not so complicated?

Memories link our past with our present helping us learn from our mistakes, sometimes turning painful experiences into an empathetic understanding of others and often producing smiles when times of family, fun and fellowship come to mind. That is why Alzheimer's disease is so devastating. Ties to the past are lost even resulting in being unable to recognize a loved one.

God knows the value of memories. Memories of our sins against Him should prevent us from doing the same thing again and the memory of our salvation experience should cause us to give thanks to Him every day.

One of the greatest values of memories is reflecting on the trustworthiness of God. I cherish the memories of every instance where He has shown me His love. He has always been there for me and He always will be. You can count on Him as well.

Then they remembered that God was their rock and the Most High their Redeemer (Psalm 78:35). He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and full of compassion (Psalm 111:4). I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the works of Your hand (Psalm 143:5).