Weeds and Rain

When we moved into our house the front yard (garden) needed to be....well, fixed. I'm not a gardener and I certainly don't have a green thumb so I wasn't excited about getting out and tending to the garden. I felt a lot of pressure because the people a long my street have beautiful yards. I just wanted to let them know that I was going to be a good neighbor and keep things tidy.

As is typical in England, it rained the night before and as I pulled weeds God really showed me a picture of my spiritual life.

In the Bible, rain is seen two different ways....as blessings (There shall be showers of blessing....) or as hard times. (You know the song....the wise man built his house upon the rock.....and the rains came tumbling down?) I was reminded that even when hard times come....and no matter how painful, one thing happens. The rain softens the ground. When the ground is soft the weeds can be pulled out much easier.

Rain, in the form of a trial or hard time in our lives breaks our spirit. I know that sounds harsh, but it helps us. Without that brokenness we can't get the weeds out of our lives. AND weeds....no matter how horrible the rain....weeds are worse.

I was feeling so sad and lonely when we first moved in our house. I realized that even though I trusted God with this move there was still pain involved. Pain in leaving a place that I was finally thinking of as home, friends that I felt I was getting so close to, having to be without my children for a longer period of time....the list goes on and on. Then I was plopped down in a place where my husband had a couple of instant friends and I was all alone. And worse, no church I felt comfortable in. (I have one now!)

This was a place of brokenness for me. I realized how far away I really was from God. I realized that I was waiting for things like the T.V., internet and phone to fill up my time because I was in pain, sad and lonely. The things I was waiting on aren't bad things I just realized that I could use this time waiting, to get closer to God. No one can heal like God. I would like to say that time was a real mountain top experience but it was more like a ride through the valley. It was hard....but it's over. The things I learned about myself were great and I hope God was able to pull a few more weeds from my life.

The point I would like to leave is, don't wait until a huge storm enters your life to try to grow a garden or pull weeds! If there is a gentle rain, take time to stop and let God tend to you. Release the weeds.

I don't know what your weeds are. Maybe your weeds aren't very big and they might have pretty little flowers on top....but in the end....they are still just weeds and they will over take your life.

Don't be afraid.....let go and let God.