I spent some time outside this morning, on my hands and knees in the garden. The weeds have overtaken the garden, so much so that I couldn’t even find the baby cucumber plants amid the mess of green vegetation. As I gently worked my way through the garden, disentangling the weed roots from around the little baby cucumber plants, I thought how life is a lot like that. Life has so much worry and so much anxiety right now! It crowds around our souls! The worry and anxiety entangle themselves with our “roots” and they suck away the very “Water of Life” we so desperately need to nourish our souls.
The last few days here have been really hot. It’s strange how weeds can thrive and grow perfectly fine no matter how hot it gets, while the little cucumber plants wither away and die. Isn’t life just like that! It seems like there’s nothing but bad news to worry about, everywhere we turn. The bad news thrives … just like those weeds!
If my garden is going to grow, the weeds have got to go! In the same way, in order for us to grow spiritually, the “weeds” have got to go! Here is a photo of my garden from this morning. I intentionally left the bucket full of weeds and the trowel in the photo … because that’s what growing spiritually looks like … a bucket full of “weeds” and a trowel!
The cool of morning is a great time to work in the garden, digging up weeds. Once the day heats up, I just can’t weed anymore. The same is true when it comes to spiritual “weeding” … mornings are a great time to spend with the Holy Spirit going through our souls and digging up “weeds.” Because when life heats up with the ceaseless, relentless pressures of the daily grind … well, it’s just way too hot to do anything other than survive! If the “weeds” have been cleared from our souls, then the “Water of Life” can sustain us during the “heat of the day.”
As you can see from the photo, it’s clearly obvious which part of the garden has been weeded and which part is still choked with weeds. The same is true of our spiritual lives. Others around us are watching. Even from a distance, they can clearly see if our lives are choked with worry and anxiety … or if our lives are free from worry, … and thriving.
So what about you? What is your “soul garden” looking like these days?
