Did You Round Up Your Flowers?

Do you remember the Bible story of the wheat and the tares (weeds)? Sometimes I forget that God is working to complete me, making me into His perfection. I think I need to do! It seems He is taking too long to fix all the glaring stuff I see that is out of whack in my life.

We often think being with God or turning back to God means we have to get our life in order. We want to be cleaned up! But if you are like me, we rush to do and start pulling out all of the tares like squirting "round up" on the whole mess. Unfortunately, we make a new mess. We can destroy the roots of blossoms soon to come and kill the growth that was already there!

I just did that a week ago. I squirted Round Up all over a section of my border by the garage door opening to get the overgrown weeds. In a few days, the plants were all dead and I pulled them up. The next time I passed the beautiful light brown barren soil I remembered my little creeping phlox plants that I placed in that spot several years ago. Each year for a week or so they would sprout raspberry tiny flowers for me to admire... guess what? They are gone, "round up" by the root.

This reminded me of life - how we can loose the little bring pink flowers the Master Gardener planted years ago. He says He will redeem and restore and resurrect. Are we willing to allow HIM to patiently uproot the weeds in our life, gently, carefully, one by one? Is our soul soil moist with the reading of His Word so that when he tugs the ugly is able to release from our heart completely? Are we tender toward Him and His Work in our life?

When we don't wait for God's delicate hand to careful tend to our twisted strands of life, we destroy some of the precious moments and growth that was planted years ago and brought little moments of joy without any thought or work on our part. Slow down on rushing in and doing the 'sanctifying' work yourself - you didn't save yourself - why then do you keep trying to sanctify yourself and complete the work God started and promised HE would finish?

Healing can't be rushed, and it is not always happy. Why do we work so hard to be happy anyway and always avoiding anything sad? What would sunny days be if it were not for the rainstorms? What striking colors would cause us to pause and gaze up to the rainbow if we had never experienced grey clouded days? And the rain must be in the midst of the sky for the rainbow to even form! I love bright, beautiful colors but they must be offset by light. We have to let the Light shine into the rainy times!

God doesn't want us to be constantly teetering above the rapids ready to rush over a dangerous high fall, but he also doesn't want us to just stay inside where we know we will stay nice and dry and safe. Life with God is not about playing it safe. It is about walking by faith close to Him, listening for His voice and doing what He asks.

I just read that perseverance is the how the stream overcomes the rock... not by mighty force, but consistent flowing presence day in and day out. This is how we are to face the hard spots in our life, our personality, our soul. We are not to round up everything... destroying ourself and others in the process, but consistently allow the Holy Spirit and God's Word to flow over moment by moment, day by day, year by year.

This is the only way I know to live, permanently moving forward, always refocusing to live in His presence. Yes, I get distracted and often am forgetful, but I never get over being in love With HIM!