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….