Holding on to my Roots

I don't usually like yard work. Aaron loves to garden and always invites me to come help or at the very least come see the progress of his garden. I appreciate his garden and the good eats we get from it. I also appreciate his love for the the work he puts into it. In an effort to have something productive to do I have decided to get out in our backyard to make improvements. We love to sit out there at night to relax. I want to put some effort in to making it a nicer place for us to enjoy. To my relief, there is lots to do for free! 

I started out by just pulling weeds. I cleared out a small extension of our patio that was overgrown with weeds. I had the kids help out, until the complaining starts. This is my peaceful project that isn't going to be ruined by their negativity. However, I am keeping in mind the little irritating jobs for behavior adjustments....I'm no dummy! When I do jobs like these, I do a lot of thinking. I'm not intentionally praying but sometimes God must get the idea I am talking to him because he tends to interrupt me. Prayer is a conversation with God, so I guess I end up praying. Most of the time these are quiet thoughts however I have had my moments of talking out loud to myself. I don't recommend that if you are outside or in the garage because someone might hear you. Speaking from personal expirience. That's kinda embarrassing.... So, today while pulling more weeds in a flower bed, I had a quiet conversation with God. 

I noticed some weeds were easier to pull than others. I paid careful attention to what I was yanking out so I didn't take out something important Aaron was growing. I'm not super familiar with the plants. So, some of them look like meaningless weeds. I noticed the parallels to the things in our life. Some of those plants that look like weeds are a work in progress. Some of those plants look like a terrible mess until they bloom and they are beautiful for a few weeks. Some of them produce fruit to be used for our benefit just like we produce fruit that is used for the benefit of others, not just to keep to ourself. If we left the fruit on the plant and selfishly let it die it wasn't useful like it was intended. If we selfishly keep the fruits God intends for us to give away, we let a part of us spiritually die too. Some of the roots of the weeds came up easily. Sometimes it is easy for us to give up our dead weeds or some bad habits. We let them go and move on. But in every garden, and every human being, there are roots that don't come up so easily. God is the gardener, he does the pulling. A plant doesn't prune itself, nor does a garden maintain itself. God reaches down to pull the root or sin out of our life but we hold onto it. Sometimes it looks like he got it but all it did was rip off the top. It looks neat and clean for awhile but the root is still there and will be back, like an addiction. Sometimes, he works it slowly. Pulling away the dirt, digging to the bottom and gently takes it out. Either way, we can't take those out on our own. We need a loving gardener. To watch over, weed us, water us, feed us, and help us give our fruit away to share the love of that garden and gardener. God is the gardener. He sent Jesus to weed us, water us, feed us. He gives us the Holy Spirit to help us give our fruit out and spread his love. 

John15:1 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears nofruit, while every branch in me that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "

So what is this fruit that he grows in us to give away? Galatians 5:22 tells us. But, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. My backyard won't be done in one day, neither will God be done with me in one day. It's a process. I'm not giving up on my yard because I can't fix it all at once. Thankfully, God doesn't give up on us either because we are not cleaned up in one day. He is more faithful to me than I will probably be to my backyard. That gives me a lot of hope. I hope it gives you hope and encouragement, too!