Poop and Weeds Wednesday

Well, I was going to re-name this Weedy Wednesday, because the word Poop has occurred in this blog far too many times... and I'm sure that's unlikely to stop anytime soon. But then the "weedy" part of Weedy Wednesday sounded a bit too much like something to avoid at a college frat party, so back to Poop and Weeds Wednesday it is!

Anyway, to the point.

In case you're catching up, this is a weekly devotional post that will last through the next several months. About a year ago, I was randomly inspired to go clean up my back yard. At the time, it was filled with weeds and our dog's poop. Somewhere in between pulling weeds and carrying the loads to the trash can, I felt God whispering to me to write a devotional. So I put down my gardening tools, took off my gloves, and headed up to the computer. And now I'm sharing it with you.

I pray God speaks to you through these weeds words.

______________________________________________

Thank You God for Poop and Weeds

Mark 4:3-20

"Listen. What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed... Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it. Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams.

"Are you listening to this? Really listening?
‘…Whose eyes are open but don't see a thing,

Whose ears are open but don't understand a word,
Who avoid making an about-face and getting forgiven.’”

"He continued, "Do you see how this story works? All my stories work this way. The farmer plants the Word… The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it. But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it,
…and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams."

The Message Bible
Some verses omitted

Part II: Root it Out

I think it was my Mom who taught me the somewhat sick and twisted masochistic love of pulling weeds. She always loved to garden. When I was a kid, she used to spend hours in the backyard, painstakingly pulling out any plants that were out of place so that the one she wanted to could grow. …Actually, I think she just welcomed the opportunity to be in the sun and away from the phone and never-ending bickering between my sister and I. But that's besides the point.

My Dad loved to weed too, only his target was the grass, not the garden. There were several times that I went outside to join one or both of them, and asked if I could “help.” “Sure!” they would respond enthusiastically. And they would toss me a tool to use. My first instinct was to pull the weed as hard as I could and whatever ended up in my hand would be tossed into the garbage bag and the job was done—so I thought. My work would look something like this picture.

Sure, the weeds were shorter… but they were still just as present as before. Maybe just not as noticeable. That actually made them worse! They could spread more easily and grow a stronger root. It also made them harder to pull out. Have you ever tried to pull out a weed like that with nothing to hold onto except a nub at the top? My parents explained that the weeds don’t go away until you pull them out, root and all.

Unforgiven or unresolved issues in our lives have exactly the same effect in our lives. Have you ever had an argument with a family member over something petty? You start by arguing over what color to paint the bedroom, and pretty soon you can’t even remember what you’re fighting about! Usually, somewhere in between “How about blue?” and “YOU NEVER LISTEN TO A WORD I SAY!” and the door-slam, you’ve touched on something much deeper. It’s easy, in those situations, to smooth over an issue, and call it resolved. But shoving it under the rug, usually means it will rear its ugly head again in the future, and you will find yourself back in the same argument.

Take it one step further. Have you ever been mad at God over something? Maybe you’re mad at Him because you are in a tight spot financially. Then an extra $200 lands on your doorstep and the problem is resolved… this time. But the root of the problem was mistrust in His provision. That part of it was never fixed. God will bring issues like that back in front of you time and time again, until you learn the lesson once and for all. Though the particular issue worked itself out and God proved Himself faithful, you must reconcile the root of the issue. As long as you “avoid making an about-face and getting forgiven,” the weed will never go away.

There have been many many times in my life that I find myself in the “same ol’ place” frustrated over the same issue as before. I’ve cried to God,”WHY?!? How many times will I circle this mountain?” His answer to me, as it was to the Israelites (for 40 years in the desert) was, “Until you learn what I am trying to teach you.” Open your heart to Him. What is it that He’s trying to show you about His love through the situation you are in? What is the root issue of the problem you are facing?

Once I learned that God teaches us through these situations, only then I was able to understand how David could dance while he was mourning, and how Paul could give thanks for each trial he encountered.