Inspiration in weeds

This morning comes as an unexpected blessing. During this time I've had off from my normal routine, I've really enjoyed having a change of pace and sitting still. Of course then my mind races with all the things I can do to fill that void. As if it's not enough to just stay still, content or be satisfied with the moment, I've gotta go, go, go. With this much energy, I find myself looking for things to do, projects to complete, tasks to finish or goals to meet. I think that with being indoors, I find that unfinished business piling up and it becomes overwhelming to me. So my automatic response is to do something about it. I'm a doer....not a follower. I want to see results and big things happen. Sometimes to my disappointment, they don't happen as quickly as I would like. Yes, am I impatient, very! But to my defense, I just want to get it done.

During the warm months, my quiet time is spent being outdoors in my yard. Typically I'm looking for an edge to be sharpened in my flower beds, finding weeds-yes it's a sick obsession for us Murphy's, but flowers or shrubs are asking to be pruned. I will move some mulch around just to be out in my yard. If I feel so inspired, which happens frequently, I will venture over to the neighbors and do some too. I use this time to pray, think, talk to God, or even dare I say it, enjoy some good ol' vitamin D. I like it, I'm not gonna lie. The weeding part has always been a joy to me. I can't just go out and look at my flowers and enjoy the fruit of my hard work, I need to find weeds. It's very therapeutic for me! Right now you are probably thinking, what person in their right mind likes WEEDS?????? Well, me for one. I could list several more who have this sickness to eliminate those pesky critters from the beauty of God's creation. Some would argue that God made weeds too, but I beg to look at it differently. The more weeds the BETTER! There is something about taking the "Yuck" out and seeing the beauty in it all. I mean, we all do this in our own way. I choose to use weeds as my yuck method, if you will.

My family has always been obsessed with weeding and cleaning up yards and stuff. Even my grandparents are victims of this disease! Ha So it's generational. For example, my dad loves to cut down trees and burn things, my mom loves planting flowers of all kinds, my sister loves to mow and my brother loves to dig and plant gardens. Maybe our calling should have been in the landscaping business.....ok, maybe not. Just a thought. I can't go by a house or piece of land without looking at it's potential! I mean, I contemplate where I would need to start and with what tools I would need to get the job done. I can totally visualize the end result. My heart races and my mind starts spinning with ideas. What bush would look good there? What flower combinations would be ideal for that area? i wonder what kind of sun this area gets. Oh and if that's not enough, I even go so far as to think about the edging......scalloped and flowing edges or straight lines? That motivates me even more and then it's a matter of holding me back from just doing it-even if I don't have the land owners permission. But I have to. There are laws out there because someone, like me decided the laws didn't apply to him. I have will power to not divulge this desire and instead think of a ways I can put that energy to use. I see it needs to be done and I do it! 

This drives me in such a way that carries over into the rest of my life. I see the mess and I want to get it out. fine tune my character and heart to a purer, more cleaner version. I don't like to be bogged down with those strong holds. Often times the clutter is what gets in the way of us living the life God has laid out for us. Filling it with baggage from the past, hurts and offenses, bitterness, resentment, fear and rejection. Those are some of the "weeds" I pull out of my garden, ALOT! Some are not as cumbersome as others. You know, you can find just about any type of weed killer out there. some people have great remedies and elixirs to solve any weed problem. My weed killer of choice is to just pull it out. Bye, Bye. God never promised the problem would go away, but He did promise that the life we live now will no longer be when we are in heaven. Cool.  Now that's some awesome potential! That's what God sees in us. Awesome potential! Wouldn't it be great if everyone saw that worth in you? Us? I'd like to think that He wants us to get all the weeds out of our lives that are keeping us from being His servant. Joy in embracing God's plan and potential we are equipped with.

I enjoy discovering how that is interpreted in my life. Being still and quiet to be shown where I need to allow God to do some landscaping. Often times, that is such a scary place to be much less laying it all out there. I don't know of anyone who enjoys being vulnerable. I can say that I have not been disappointed in the end result, since it's much better than it was before. I mean He doesn't put us thru these difficult and trying times for nothing. Seeing how we can use this experience or whatever it may be, to his glory. How do you argue with that one? So it drives me to be more of a doer than a follower and see what potential for greatness is out there. I will continue to pick these weeds however I need to get them out, be it Roundup, shovel, split head tool, or a granule or powder I use with a broadcast spreader. How does your landscape look right now? Is your property in need of some attention? It may be covered in snow right now, but the Spring is coming and it will be time to clear out those weeds......all I have to say is get out there and start picking!