Time- The Weed of

Good Morning!

As I write you this morning, this fish tank gurgles behind me and my cat meows at the door. My tea is still warm and I can hear the soft breathing of my son in the adjoining room. I am looking forward to the sunrise this morning and yet I am also content in the peace this morning contains. As I pondered the below bible verse. my mind saw a new thought in the words and my heart became excited.

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; ..."

-Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ESV / 255

I was in the garden and the weeds were coming back again! I pulled and pulled. Dripping with sweat,covered in dirt, and exhausted, I sat contemplating these little annoyances. I planted tomatoes. I love tomatoes. I love the deep rustic aroma of the plant and the fresh scent of the fruit. I want my tomatoes to grow big, healthy and strong in flavor. If  I leave the weeds to grow my tomatoes may not get the most and best the soil has to offer because it will share with the weeds.

It occurs to me, what a huge resource time is. Think about the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen, Maybe a waterfall in Costa Rica, the beaches of the Caribbean, Your daughter's Wedding Day, any scene that touches you in some way is perfect. Close your eyes and remember it. Yes, thats it! That is the thing we were made for- honoring God’s creation. But who has the time? I am sure someone does, but not me. I spend my day in a hurry to get to work, or desperate to find childcare. I spend my days planning the laundry for tomorrow and frustrated that yet another day has passed and I did not work out!

There is only so much time, which I want to spend loving the beautiful children God brought in to my life, fostering peace, and kind heartedness in this world, and spending time with a our glorious God. I do not want to spend it waiting in lines, fighting with a neighbor, in frustration, hurrying past the sunrise or sunset. So, to go along with the theme of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8  it’s time to do some weeding in my life.

I start with a question: What are the weeds that have grown into my life and suck out my time?

Here is my list.

1) Stopping for coffee instead of making it at home.

2) Staying up late on my phone, or facebook, and then running late in the morning. I wake up tired and have to survive my day. Which includes stopping for coffee because I didn’t have time to make it before I rushed out the door.

3) Going to events. Okay every now and then an event is okay, but I need to say “No Thank You” more often, and just stay home to slow down the pace of my life and breath.

4) Meetings. Meetings can be important and beneficial, particularly when they are coupled with an opportunity for learning and growing. Meetings can also suck productive time from your schedule.

A great book for this topic is My Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst,

5) Limit computer time.

6) Delegate chores or tasks and ask for help.

You might be able to name some more. feel free to list them in the comments, it might help others.

What I found by eliminating most meeting and events is that I spend at least one full day every weekend home. By lowering computer time and committing all electronics off by 9:30pm, I am able to get the sleep I need to start my day off with energy, a better attitude, and make my coffee.

There was something that I said at the beginning of this blog, I said “As I pondered the below bible verse my mind saw a new thought about the words and my heart became excited.” Let me explain. All my life I have hated pulling weeds, it’s exhausting and just not fun. In weeding out the things in my life that drained my time, I had to tell people “No”, it was not fun either. I realized that there comes a time to weed, A time to do the work that prepares that crop for harvest. I can’t say that I like to weed, but it sure is easier when I envision the harvest.

-Kristen Muenzer, The Contented Heart

Tilling the Soil- Weeds!

Weeds!

            When I worked as a Residential Advisor on a college campus I had no idea how much work was in store for me. When I threw events I realized that I could spend as much time as I wanted painting and hanging posters. The more time I spent on my posters the more colorful and eye grabbing they would be. The more colorful they were the more likely it would encourage a great turn out to my event. I realized that I could make gift bags with advertisement of my event and treats to get their attention, and I could post flyers on their doors closer to the event. I could spend a great deal of time making digital posters and emailing them out to all of my residents. As I sat with my supervisor, in her office, discussing my event, I told her:

            

           “I could spend seemingly endless time preparing for my event. I could create an elaborate advertising program, and plan decorations, food, make a special music CD for it and plan for personally incorporating specific people who can bring voice or education to my program. These people with be an influence for even more people to come.”

           

           “Yes.” She replied. “You are right. You will have one to three events a month, if you work this hard for one event, what time will you have for the other two? Also, what about your college classes, homework, and family? You will have to prioritize the activities you do for this event so that you get the most of what you do, but do not take time that is also needed for other things.”

           

           She was right of course, but now I had a job before me. I will have to look at the many different advertising options and choose the most effective, and least time consuming. This proved challenging, but a must if I was going to be able to get my homework done and take care of my family during that week. This lesson in life was one of the stepping stones that helped me to understand the weeds in the garden of my life with Christ.

            

           You see the more I focused attention on one thing then I was not focusing on other things. I could get really distracted on this one event and risk missing out on other, maybe more important things. I learned to better balance and prioritize the demands of work, school and family. Now with God at the fore front of my life, and developing a relationship to guide me and sustain me, how did I need to prepare the garden of my soul so that God and his word could work in me and my life. I went back to Gods word for direction.

Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear.

                                                                        Matthew 13:3-9 NIV

Jesus was asked by his disciples what the parable of the sower meant, and he explained:

²² The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. ²³ But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ^Matthew 13:22-23 NIV

             I believe that God wants me to carefully and gently remove the things that can block, and distort Gods word, so that when his word is sprinkled upon my heart, that it will grow and blossom in my heart, soul and mind.

There is something very important I need to tell you. When I began “weeding my garden” I realized quickly that there were weeds in every layer of my life. They were in my personal relationships with family and friends. I found them in my understanding of myself. The weeds were in the garden of my soul. They are invasive, draining and blocked growth. Removing weeds took great effort and it was at times it was painful.

            In my next blog, I will share my first weed- TIME. Time is one thing I never have enough of and a weed I will likely need to continue to pull when it pops up!

Talk with you soon….

Tilling the Soil- The Big Rocks

Tilling the Soil- continued

The BIG Rocks

My husbands family is amazing. My kids have grandparents who authentically care about them, patiently support them, and desire to know more about them. They call to find out about their day and their life. My sons never think to inquire about how they are doing. One time my 12 year old was on the phone with his grandma, and I was listening in. After a series of questions from grandma, the conversation paused. I leaned over and in a big whisper voice said "ask her how she's doing?" And he did. Of course she answered with the general good nature of all was good. Really, how much detail can you go into with a 12 year old who is fervently processing the next Minecraft-Lego creation that might take shape under his constructive fingers. She told him what he needed to here. He needed to hear that all was good in her world so that he could go on with his worry free play.

There I was left wondering about the first Big Rock that gets in my way of Gods word rooting well in my soul, selfishness. No, I'm gonna capitalize it SELFISHNESS!  I am so selfish. Oh sure I know some of you are sitting there wondering what is she talking about, she one of most selfless people I know. I can be- but here it is, I'm also selfish. I want everything to be about me. I want my husband there for me, I want my kids there for me and I want God there for me. I want them there because I (yes, I) feel better when I have them. Do you see all those "I's" in those statements?

While my son listened to his grandma and I remembered myself as a little girl on the phone with my grandma. Every Christmas while visiting with family, playing with siblings and my NEW TOYS, my grandmother would call. The phone would ring and the phone would get passed around. When it was my turn, I groaned. "I'm playing." My father would insist, so I would take the phone begrudgingly smile and say "Hi Grandma!" Oh how fake I was and selfish too!

Children are a great example of this because they are so clear when they express themselves. Adults on the other hand are less clear, and it's harder to see our own selfishness. For example when my daughters were looking for a college, I naturally found a college close to me. I researched their majors and it sounded something like this. "Hi sweetheart, guess what? There is a college close by me, and they have your major! They have a special orientation in two weeks. Should I sign you up? Oh yah and did I tell you the rents here are so low, and it's not hard to find a place that will take a dog. There are jobs and honey it would be so awesome for you to live closer. The boys miss you and I do to."

Can you see all of the manipulation in that? I wanted her to go to college, I never asked her what she wanted. I already researched it, and had a plan. If that wasn't enough, I had to convince her by throwing a guilt trip of her brothers in there.  Once I have buried her in my expectations, excitement and guilt, she can't easily say no. She can see and hear the desperation of me wanting HER in the whole statement. Selfish with a capital "S".

In tilling the soil of my heart I had to think about the seeds God planting in the soil of my soul. The disciples asked Jesus what is the greatest commandment of God and Jesus replied:

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (Matthew 22:37-39 NIV)

The seed of God is Love. How do I know what kind of soul soil I need to grow a garden of love? I turned to the bible to help me with this and found this:

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. Love takes no pleasure in evil but rejoices over the truth. Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always endures. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NCV)

There was a time when I would have read that and said " Okay, that sounds easy enough." But today as I read it, I feel a great burden. God has helped me to see the depth of my selfishness and and how the desperation for the things of this world has lead me to do selfish things. Now when I read I think; " Really God? That's all? Have you seen how broken I am? Are you aware how selfish I am? You are kidding right?" But not God. He wasn't kidding and he directed me to these verses.

"Actually all of us were like them and lived according to our natural desires, doing whatever suited the wishes of our own bodies and minds. In our natural condition we, like everyone else, were destined to suffer God's anger. (Ephesians 2:3 GNB)"

"The people who believe that Jesus is the Messiah are God’s children. Anyone who loves the Father also loves the Father’s children. How do we know that we love God’s children? We know because we love God and we obey his commands. Loving God means obeying his commands. And God’s commands are not too hard for us, because everyone who is a child of God has the power to win against the world. It is our faith that has won the victory against the world. So who wins against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God." (1 John 5:1-5 ERV)

I got down on my knees, convinced that God has the power to deliver me from the worldly desires, and began to uncover the rocks that stifle true love. I was horrified at the rocks I pulled up, and many were built up over years, through fear, and by through the hurt of people and situations in my life. As I unearthed the rocks, each one had a story, a reason and a purpose, all based in fear. God exposed the truth and freed me. I learned that tilling the soil will be an everyday task, because these weeds and rocks can show up when your not paying attention.

The gardeners job is a daily one, watching and tending. Each day God meets me at the Gardeners bench. We visit Gods word, explore, and then apply it to the soul soil nourishing the blooming love for God and his people.

Next- week I will discuss the weeds in the garden. 

Tilling the Soil

Today was the day! I had decided with this early March sunshine that it was time to plan the garden. This year our garden was going to be a little more unique than in the past. This year we have bought a home so it feels a little more special to plan where I'm gonna put the garden, compost and deciding what to plant. I knew that I needed to find a spot that received good sun, would be easy to water, and tend. Once I decided where I was going to plant, I realized that I was going to need to pull some weeds. The long winter had brought in some undesirables.

As I shoved the shovel into the dirt, and flipping the soil over, I could hear the scrape of rocks under ground. It seemed that I had more than weeds to remove. I dug for awhile turning the wet rich soil over and turning the ground. I stopped occasionally and tossed out the weeds, big rocks and broke up clods of dirt with my hands. Then I realized that this was like tilling the soil of my soul, and that would be where I would need to start in building my relationship with God.

"Before I made you in your mother's womb, I chose you. Before you were born I set you apart for a special work." Jeremiah 1:5 NCV

I know that I was created to bring glory to God, and I know that God has a purpose for me. To bring glory to my lovely God, I desire to till the soil of my soil so that I come to him real, and authentic. The "big rocks", weeds and hardened soil brings barriers and difficulty when living out Gods plan in my life. I don't doubt for a second that there is no barrier God can not over come, however; I want to come before him, hear him and develop and beautiful relationship in him. The healthier the soil the easier it is for me to grow strong and healthy in his love. These big rocks can get me off track from God, and the weeds can suck the energy right out of me so that I have little time for God.

Luke recalls Jesus words as he spoke to a crowd. In the story about planting a seed (Luke 8) Jesus says:

"Some seed fell among the thorny weeds, but the weeds grew up and choked the good plants." Luke 8:7 NCV.

Jesus explains that the "seed" is God's message, and the trampling of feet, rocks and weeds pose problems to the growth of the message. Jesus went on to say, "The seed that fell among the thorny weeds is like those who hear Gods teaching, but they let worries, riches and pleasures of this life keep them from growing." Luke 8:14 NCV

Jesus finalizes his story and says:

"And the seed that fell on good ground is like those who hear God's teaching with good, honest hearts and obey it patiently produce good fruit." Luke 8:15 NCV

That's what I want to be; good soil to produce good fruit. Now it's time to start tilling. It will be laborious and there may even be things I want to avoid, but I won't. It's time to really clean out that soil. I will use the word of God, and good relationships to bring love, joy and peace into that soul soil.

- Next post I will continue with "Tilling the Soil" and discuss the "big rocks", weeds and hard lumps that I have discovered, and the work God makes me do to rid myself of them.