Weeds and Sin: Get rid of 'em!

I am not a gardener. In fact, I think I've killed more plants than should be humanly possible. My husband and kids laugh hysterically when I so much as mention the idea of purchasing a potted plant or flower. They know what will happen within a couple weeks to the poor thing.

Lately, though, I've had a bit of luck with green and growing things. When Mom passed away last May, our church sent me a lovely potted plant. The fact that this plant is still alive and thriving eleven months later is just short of a miracle. Mom had ten green thumbs and could grow anything -- and she did! -- so I think this plant somehow knows its purpose was to keep Mom's memory alive in my everyday life, because it refuses to die despite being under my care.

Weeds were Mom's nemesis. On the 3/4 acre plot of ground she called home for more than 60 years, she battled weeds. In her vegetable garden. In her rock garden. In her flowers. Along the driveway. Along the fence. Everywhere, everywhere...weeds! Knowing she couldn't fight them alone, she'd recruit her five kids to help pull the little buggers. We weren't exactly thrilled though. One of my older brothers once declared, "What's the use? They'll just grow back." And he was right. They would indeed grow back, but that wasn't a good enough reason to let them get bigger in Mom's mind. If left on their own, the weeds would eventually take over all that was beautiful and productive.

Being the caretakers of a nearly 400-acre ranch-estate, hubby and I now battle weeds. LOTS of weeds. In the flowerbeds. Along the mile-long paved driveway. And most especially, embedded in the large sections of ornamental buffalo grass where weeds positively are not allowed. There are quite a variety of them, too, including dollar weed, a small, round-leafed weed that spreads on tiny little vines. I've given it the dubious label of insidious. It is simply everywhere!

Aren't they lovely? Not!

Dollar weed --- Ack!!

Hubby provided me with a handy little tool to dig the more difficult ones out of the hard soil. 

But it's only when I get the whole stinkin' root that I feel successful. 

Ta-da!!!

In the hours upon hours I've been parked in the grass pulling weeds lately, I thought about how much sin and weeds have in common. This is the list I came up with:

• Like weeds, sin can start out small. So small we don't take notice of it until it becomes big and ugly and, yes, insidious, and takes over our lives.
• Like weeds, sin chokes out what was planted and desired. 
• Weeds can fool us. Some of them look very similar to legitimate plants. 
• You have to dig down to the root to get rid of a weed. Same with sin. If you don't get the root, the weed will simply grow back.
• Tools can help. Your Bible, your pastor, a godly friend. Utilize them all. 
• If left unattended, the weeds will get bigger and multiply. They will affect every part of your yard and even spread into neighboring yards. 
• Ask the Gardener for help. He is, after all, the One who planted you. (John 15:1)

I'm getting rid of weeds here on the ranch, but I think I'll take a look at my heart-garden just to make sure it's weed-free too!

How about you? Got some weeds that need pulling?

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This week's Prayer Shout-Out countries are:

USA, France, Canada, Germany, India, Belgium, Brazil, United Kingdom, Philippines, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Poland, Israel