This week I went for a bushwalk with a very special friend of mine. It was about an hour of strolling in our gumboots over 40 acres looking at the scenery, checking the water levels, catching glimpses of wildlife, removing fallen branches from the horse trails and … pulling weeds. In the middle of the bush.
I didn’t realise this was a necessary part of living in the bush, but apparently the best way to keep the land healthy and free from being overgrown, is to keep on top of the weeds as they sprout up.
My bushwalking friend had a keen eye for plants and knew that those pretty little flowers would grow up and end up killing all the native vegetation that we were currently enjoying, making it uninhabitable. She knew that a little effort at each walk through the bush would save a lot of chainsaw time later on.
I took a walk with God today. I had to put on my gumboots because He had sent the rain, preparing the ground of my heart for a little weed pulling of His own. Sometimes He and I walk and admire the scenery and stop to look at new things which have blossomed or grown.
Sometimes He surprises me with wildlife experiences. Sometimes He shows me some dry patches in need of living water. Sometimes He helps clear obstacles to make my path easier and other times, we pull weeds. Weeds of pride, self sufficiency, anger, intolerance, jealousy, envy, discontentment or worry. An insurmountable task if you consider all the areas that need work, but tackling one spot at a time as He points out the rogue plants, and pulling them out together isn’t so bad.
The result is a well watered sanctuary where I can sit with Him and enjoy His company. And when someone else sees it, they might even say “How do you keep this place so nice?” and I’ll look at Him, He’ll smile and say “Tell her!”
“The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” Isaiah 58:11
Time to take a walk?
I was just reading a blog (http://lysaterkeurst.blogspot.com/) and she talked about pulling weeds. When her kids start displaying an attitude, she sends them out to the yard with a grocery bag to pick weeds. Then I read this post! Hmm! Perhaps God is trying to speak to me?! I really like the analogies you used as well; the dry soil, the wet soil, etc.
Thanks,
~ Leanne
Wow. This is more than a coincidence. I was talking to my 5 year old son yesterday about how we need to “pull weeds” out of the garden of our hearts. We’ve been going thru a rough spell lately (all of us) and I was trying to help him understand why certain behaviors and attitudes can choke out the “flowers” or good things in our hearts. It felt like he was getting it. Then I read this post about “pulling weeds”. Thanks for these words. They have encouraged me, and helped me to “get it” too!
Loved it!
Genny
Great devotion!
Donna, I love how your walk in the bush was so wonderfully able to reflect to our walk with God! Thank you for the reminder!