Lessons from My Garden

A couple of weeks ago, my flower garden was so hideously full of weeds that I was embarrassed to walk outside. Once it had gotten so bad, I was too overwhelmed to know where to start in getting rid of them! I've walked through my flower garden nearly every day, yet it seemed like overnight that the weeds suddenly took over! It's not that they weren't there already; those weeds had been visible for quite a while, but they were small and easily ignored. I should've made a point to stop and pluck them as soon as they popped up. Instead, I ignored them until they became jungle-like. I finally worked up the courage to spend a couple of hours out there, weeding 'til my hamstrings hurt for a week afterwards! My sweet husband slaved away another day, nearly all day, until that jungle was tamed.

Some plants in my garden have become weeds. Although I willingly and lovingly planted them, they have grown bigger than I thought they would, more vigorously than I thought they would, and have popped up in all sorts of places I didn't plant them. I have pulled up many of them, and will have to do away with some entirely. Some can stay, but must be tamed and regularly monitored and cut back so that I can keep them under control. Some -- like mint -- can only be kept if in a separate container; I've learned the hard way that they will run rampant and would take over the whole garden if I let them. (Seriously, never ever plant mint of any kind unless you want it to take over the world! I've been pulling up mint -- by the roots -- for two years now and it STILL mysteriously pops up every now and then!)

I learn much from my garden. Roses are some of my favorites for their beauty and sweet fragrance. But they require a great deal of care. The don't flourish if I ignore them. Much like relationships. I have to put time and energy and love into relationships with my husband, our children, and other family and friends if I expect those relationships to flourish.

Everything in the garden requires some degree of sunlight and rain, and good, enriched soil in order to thrive. Much like any "fruit" in my life requires a close relationship with Christ. Those weeds that turned into a jungle are like old behavior patterns and beliefs that I have to keep giving to God over and over again. I can't let them wiggle back into my life or they will try to choke out the healthy new growth.

The seemingly innocuous plants that became like weeds are things like hobbies and activities. They can be beautiful and/or beneficial, but only if kept in their proper place. I can't allow outside activities to take precedence over family time, or a desire for extra sleep to override my need to start my day with some time in the Bible. I must regularly evaluate these things to make sure I'm keeping my priorities in proper order.

Do you learn from your garden? Or any other unusual places?