Weeds

They had been blooming all summer and into fall, and they were pretty.  At least I thought they were, even if no one else did.  Especially when they were smaller, with those bright purple petals and darker purple and yellow centers.  But now they were large and growing on both sides of the steps down from the porch.  It was now December, in southern West Virginia, and they were still blooming!  But they were weeds, starting to look more like weeds, kinda scraggly, thin and faded, and taking over the bed.  And to Makenzie, my 11 year old granddaughter, the fact that I had let them grow to this size without removing them from the flower bed, well, it raised some questions in her mind.  

I was coming back to the house after being out in the pasture helping my hubby with some fencing.  Makenzie was coming out.  “Why haven’t you pulled up these weeds, Grammy? she asked. “They’re like monsters now.”  “WelI,” I answered, “I thought they were pretty, and they didn’t seem to be bothering anything.” After discussing the situation a few more minutes, I decided with her help to go ahead and pull them out, a fairly simple task that shouldn’t take long.  Well, that was before I started tugging at the roots and realized they went down pretty deep. But it had to come out now.  I had made such a mess.  So I bent over, gripped with both hands, dug in my heels and pulled even harder, and then it gave way.  The next thing I knew I was tumbling backwards over the large rocks that defined the bed, landing on my backside, feet up in the air, dirt flying.  Kenzie was trying to decide if I was really hurt, and having trouble not laughing.  

No, I was not terribly hurt.  A couple of scrapes, moderate bruises, and I was a bit sore the next morning, but I’d live.  And the weeds had been taken care of.  But the process had been a bit painful, and I got dirty.  

I faced a hurt this week that brought this little tussle with a weed to mind.  Hurts can cause a root of bitterness to start its descent into the depths of the heart, and I knew what the Scripture says about a root of bitterness.  It can find a place in the heart, and like those weeds, if it is not taken care of can do damage both to one’s self and others.  Things might look pretty good on the surface, but down deep, the longer the root remains, the stronger the grip grows.  Before long, if not dealt with, it will hinder positive growth all around. Your relationship with God and with others will suffer, keeping you from having the close, loving relationships with others you should have. Peace will escape you, and worst of all, it will keep you from experiencing God’s grace.  God’s grace will always be available, but a root of bitterness will keep you from being able to know it’s reality at work in your life.   

    “Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God.  Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.”  Hebrews 12:15

I don’t know about you, but I need God’s grace at work in and through me...lots of it!  Amazing Grace...it’s not just a song.  His grace gives me a reason to get out of bed and face myself in the mirror when I have failed miserably.  His grace comforts me and pulls me out of the pit of sadness when all I want to do is cry.  His grace woos me with song, and builds joy back into my soul, when I just want to hide away.  His grace gently reminds me that Jesus has been in the pit, and He endured it for me!  He loves me (when others may not). He accepts me (when others may not). He has a purpose for me on a daily basis (when others may make me feel insignificant or dispensable), and that great purpose is to know Him and love Him more.  It’s to live to honor Him.  He is worth it, and makes my life worth it.  So when the bitterness tries to creep in, I go to Him with a resolve to rid myself of it.  I don’t want anything to keep me from “receiving the grace of God” when I would need it most.  So I give it to Him and I commit to doing what He says I must do in order to see the root destroyed…

    forgive;

    pray;

    confess;

    make changes;

    love unconditionally, like He does.

Digging that root out can be painful, but grace unfettered awaits!  I’m not saying it will be easy; you might just end up on your backside in the dirt!  

But it’s so worth it.