I Didn't Get All The Weeds

I did not have a very productive weekend.  After a crazy, hectic week I was looking forward to spending a few days around the farm not having anyone else's schedule to keep or look after - no place I had to be but home and no one to look after but Bill and me (well and the livestock).  Kids are all safely home from long-distance travels (thank you, God!); the weather was predicted to be cool but sunny and oh my, did I have plans for the work I was going to get done!  But that all quickly crumbled (as it often does in "my" life) and folks, I'm here to tell 'ya that I was soon reminded that the old sinful nature is still hanging around, no matter how long you've been a Christian - sometimes buried deep, but its there!

You know, sin isn't always the thing we know to be mindful of - I didn't steal or lie or murder or any of that.  But I was selfish, bitter, ungrateful and unkind.  To tell you the truth I had a major, 
feeling- sorry-for-myself meltdown!  UGH!!!  And then I cried and was miserable the rest of the day for how contrary I had been ;(  Oh sure, there were legitimate worldly reasons for my behavior - but our Lord expects better than that, it should be behind me by now, but I found out it isn't.  And I can say I'm sorry to those affected by my outbursts, but the sting of the words and actions are still there.

I snapped the photo above with an entirely different thought in my head...you see one of my smallest flower beds in the process of being weeded.  I'm behind in the work and the weeds are getting away from me.  You see the piles of weeds in the photo but you might also see that I'm only about a third of the way done...this picture came to mind while I was having some prayer and coffee time this morning.  What does it make you think of?  It reminds me that it takes daily, constant vigil and time with God to keep the weeds from taking over and choking the life out of us.  Sometimes you get large blocks of time when you can be down on your knees with hands, feet and all in the mud working to take care of things.  Sometimes you only have a passing moment when you see something ugly starting to sprout but you can still reach in and snip it off before it takes hold.  The only requirement is the willingness to do the spiritual work with your eyes and heart on God.

I've still got work to do....