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Bread for the Journey


My daughter and her husband recently moved into a house with a large yard. They were quite excited to learn how to grow a beautiful lawn and spruce up the old beds. It was a lot of work, but they were quite happy with the initial results.
It did not take long and she started complaining about the weeds that were coming up. “Why is it, that we have to give so much attention to the plants that we want to grow and yet, these weeds just come from nowhere and take over?” she asked. And then she told me how this had been a spiritual lesson of sorts for her.

In the parable of the sower (Matthew 13) Jesus told of a farmer who threw his seeds in the ground, not all of which grew to produce fruit. Thorns and thistles grew up all on their own to choke out the good seed. It is frustrating to see that just like the weeds, sin needs no encouragement. It can pop up in the most unexpected places and take over. It’s a part of our fallen world in which we need to be alert and ready to weed it out so that the good seed can grow.

I’m not a gardener, but this is one thing I know . . . weeding just gets harder if you ignore it. There is something about tilling the soil in order to produce good fruit.

Lord, allow me to recognize the weeds and the thorns that choke the good seed in the soil of my heart. Help me to be persistent in allowing You to weed and water for a good harvest.
from the kitchen of
recipe file

10 comments:

  1. VeeJuly 17, 2011 at 5:19 AM

    Yes. True. I visited my niece this week to find a gigantic thistle, taller than I, right along the path to her door. I asked her how in the world she had allowed such a thing to happen and she said, "I was curious about what it was." She further said that it had already hurt her as she tried to remove it so she was leaving it there until she got some leather gloves. One good thing about due diligence in a garden is that, after a while, the work necessary becomes second nature and doesn't seem like such a chore.

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  2. peggyJuly 17, 2011 at 5:59 AM

    Happy Sunday to you. I always enjoy your blog but don't usually comment and more of us should. Thank you for all the good recipes and today's post!

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  3. D. LeighJuly 17, 2011 at 6:20 AM

    This was a wonderful reminder!!! Thank you!

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  4. AnitaJuly 17, 2011 at 7:09 AM

    I love your writing - this was a great reminder.... press on dear sister!

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  5. StitchinByTheLakeJuly 17, 2011 at 7:44 AM

    Ahh, this one spoke to me today. Thanks so much. blessings, marlene

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  6. angelikaJuly 17, 2011 at 9:01 AM

    thanks for this good reminder; but i also have an alternate thought: how do we define weeds? Dandelions are actually good for you but most of us consider them weeds and rip them out. thistle makes a healthy tea... that always makes me think about what is "wanted" and what is "unwanted" and how we treat people who may 'blemish' our landscape but actually have so much to offer if we'd look beyond what we've defined as 'weeds.'

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  7. AlicaJuly 17, 2011 at 10:27 AM

    This is a great reminder! I too, look at my weeds and groan at all the extra work it makes. But how rewarding it is, after the weeding is finished and the plants thrive!

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  8. JulieJuly 17, 2011 at 10:34 AM

    How true, weeds grow without any care at all - the good plants needs careful tending!
    May we be good gardeners of our heart gardens..pulling the weeds while they are small and encouraging the fruitful plants.

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  9. kim (st louis)July 17, 2011 at 10:54 AM

    wow, a powerful reminder!! thank you for this lesson

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  10. roseJuly 17, 2011 at 7:30 PM

    It does seem important to ask the Holy Spirit's guidance to ID the wrong move...thank God...for the trinity! lovely post...thanx

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