"All of this done for you, It's love..."

I had some weeding to do. 

I kept on putting it off, though. I mean, it was pretty much 102 degrees all week. And the gnats...*groan*...Ohh, the gnats. If you're from the deep south, you understand. So really, I had reasonable excuses (in my mind). But anyway, I just couldn't bring myself to weed. So my clean, pretty little flowerbed slowly became a jungle of weeds, colored by only a few strangling flowers. 

I decided that it was time to clean out the flowerbed. So, I did. It wasn't an easy process, either. My back started hurting about halfway through. And every time I thought I was pulling the last weed, I'd find another one hiding underneath a flower. On top of that, I was sure that the gnats were attempting to eat me alive. I was in direct sunlight, and I think I got a little sunburn on my back...but I kept on pulling the weeds. Occasionally I'd come across a stick, or some pinestraw or something. I took that out too. The goal was to get my flowerbed clean...and to keep the flowers alive. 

As I plucked, tugged, and yanked weeds out of my flower bed, I realized something. 

I realized that God was doing the same thing in my heart at that very moment. The flowerbed of my heart was, and is constantly, being weeded by the Ultimate Gardener. 

So, as I continued weeding out my little flowerbed, I imagined that the weeds were the sins in my heart. Comparisons (pluck), jealousy (pluck), vanity (pluck). There were some weeds that camouflaged themselves as flowers. For instance, the "self-criticism" weed hid underneath the "humility" flower. I made the mistake of believing its lie. But as the Lord gently pushed his way through the surface, I realized that I had some pretty ugly weeds down there that I didn't even know about. The "weeds" were so deep in my heart that criticizing myself, comparing myself to others, etc had become habit. I didn't even realize I was doing it. 

But since we have one outstanding Savior, my weed story doesn't end there. God got a good handle on those hideous weeds; the ones attempting to choke the life out of my flowers. Now I recognize the weeds more easily when they pop up, and I attempt to keep them from stuffing in their roots. Being human, though, I fail...often. 

Thankfully, our Savior is not only outstanding, but He is also full of grace. When I think I'm being swallowed up by my sinfulness, and my flowers seem to be strangling to death, all is not lost. God comes out with His weed-eater and saves me, once again. 

He really is the best Gardener around. 

~Rayray~