Weed Seasons
One day I was out for a run on a warm day that was well into spring. I love how running clears my head. The push of having to make my feet move forward despite fatigue and the concentration required to convince myself that I am not, in fact, out of breath does wonders for clearing my mind. In a moment of this “clearness of mind” I was thinking quite deeply on the weeds that I was observing along my path. This year the weeds were all tall, wispy, wheat-like weeds. They surely have a name. I don't know it. They are everywhere, growing quickly and prolifically, not discriminating where they grow whatsoever. But you might be surprised to hear that I actually don't mind these weeds and here's why. They are so easy to pull. Just grab the little bushel and they come up, no problem. The roots are weak and do not seem to go very deep at all. So compared to those death spiked weeds that go through even the most expensive gardening gloves, I kind of like them. And here's the other thing, kind of funny, but they are so satisfying to pull! I mean, it comes right up, you can quickly make a difference in the appearance of your yard and it's not exactly back-breaking.
I know, riveting thoughts for a Saturday afternoon run. Bear with me. I got to thinking that, in the almost 8 years of living here, I don't really recall having ever dealt with that specific kind of weed. Not like I keep records or anything, but I remember the death spikes, I know Dandelions, and goat heads are on my radar for obvious reasons. My wonderings continued to wander. So, probably, it would make sense that the different weeds grow based on the different weather fluctuations... or... something like that. We had a really warm bit of weather in the late part of winter. All of nature was confused as things blossomed and flitted only to be frozen out by some really harsh freezes, proving that it was not actually quite Springtime. Yet. Something like that. Something like an early warm and a harsh freeze must have been the perfect growing environment for this particular wheaty weed.
I know that Biblically weeds represent the toil that we must endure to produce crops now, as a consequence of our rebellion in Genesis 1. Much better alternative to being eternally separated from God, if you ask me. I also know that in the Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:19) that the weeds and thorns represent “the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things [that] enter in and choke the word.” It stands to reason that the “weeds” of life would be different in the different seasons; the things that make life hard, the temptations that we permit ourselves to be exposed to and the struggles that we face because of the, likewise, sinful people that we live with. All different.
What could affect the type of “weeds” in my life? How often am I allowing God's cleansing Word to search my heart and pull weeds when they are small with weak roots? How often do I cover a sin with a big rock hoping that no one will find out, until one day weed-zilla starts to grow out each side of the rock, having already sent its roots into the earth's core? Or what about when my soil (my faith) is shallow and depleted, having been overworked, forsaking Christ's rest and relying on my own efforts? Different weeds, right? When I think of those wheaty weeds, its kind of what I am hoping for in a funny way. Not that I want weeds, but they will come. I'd rather have the kind that are thorn-less, easy to pull and satisfying to see that the work has been done.
Before the Lord, may we all ask:
Lord, affect my heart in such a way that weeds are not permitted to send deep roots, not permitted to hide under rocks and protect me from the sharpest of thorns.
In accounting terms, to jump analogies, we want to keep a short account, right? We can stay caught up on the weeds when we daily ask, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” Psalm 139:23-24
...and perhaps, we will be those people outside in the yard, praising God while pulling weeds.