Weeding

It has been no secret that my family has been going through a difficult time over the last few weeks. We have felt the enemy attack, but more so we have felt the hand of God weeding out things that needed to be dealt with.

I love my garden. I have nearly 40 rose bushes, hydrangeas, dahlias, Scads of Lavender, and so much more.... but I have to say, I despise weeding. I will do anything to get OUT of weeding my garden.

I will dead head, clip, fertilize, plan, dig up, move, rearrange....let's just say ANYTHING else but weed it.

We have the most obnoxious weeds too. Our flowerbeds get over run by this horrible grass that doesn't just pull up. And when it's let go too long it chokes the life out of everything. So I know from experience that unless I actually roll up my sleeves, get on my knees and start pulling out that grass I will kill everything I have worked so hard for. It won't matter that I planted, dead headed, and fertilized, It will be choked out at the root. Where it really lives.

I am so glad that God is a good gardener. He knows when it's the right time to pull that which will nearly choke the life out of us. He knows that we will never grow to our full potential if we allow the weeds of this life to grow around our roots... or our heart. The problem is, we get so used to those weeds that we kinda like them.  When they get pulled it hurts. But what comes after is something not conceived of before. We can look back through it and say "I am finally free" I am free of the limitations the weeds bound me to. The weeds cause us to be limited in our growth. They keep us from living to the fullness He intends.

So today I am thankful that my Gardener is good at weeding. He is so skillful with his extraction of the weeds in my life that though they hurt, I can almost immediately feel the freedom it provides. I am thankful that he not only roots them out, but allows for healing. I am so glad he doesn't just allow my life to be choked out by the weeds, but is loving enough to allow the hurt for the purpose of freedom.

Lord, Thank you for weeding out the dross in my life. Thank you for the free and spacious place you bring me to. Thank you for reminding me that NOTHING is more important than a life well lived for you.

My Favorite devotional is Streams in the Desert. Here was a portion of today's reading...

" 'So the Lord Blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning Job 42:12.' Through his griefs Job came to his heritage. He was tried that his godliness might be confirmed. Are not my troubles intended to deepen my character and to robe me in graces I had little of before? I come to my glory through eclipses, tears, death. My ripest fruit grows against the roughest wall. Job's afflictions left him with higher conceptions of God and lowlier thoughts of himself. 'NOW he cried, Mine eye seeth thee.'"

Blessings dear friends,