"Garden"

Can you get rid of all those weeds,

I heard my Daddy say,

I was workin’ that old garden,

And I just said okay.

It was a constant battle,

With that one acre plot,

I fought those old weeds constantly,

They sprouted up a lot.

You see this big, old garden,

Had been a cattle trap,

Years of fertilizer,

It grew stuff like a snap.

Butterbeans, strawberries,

Okra, squash, and corn,

Asparagus and egg plant,

Tomatoes there were born.

But it took lots of water,

And harvesting and care,

And yes, the constant hoeing,

Of weeds that took their share.

I was proud of my garden,

One time went on TV,

To share twelve kinds tomatoes,

On Auburn ed, you see.

But I’ll tell you something,

Those weeds ‘bout did me in,

And the hard work in the garden,

I have not done since then.

I like veggies on the table,

Buy just the way you do,

Down at the corner grocery,

That’s close enough, it’s true.

And now I see the lesson,

To live productively,

You’ve got to plant and harvest,

And keep your life weed-free.

Seems like they will grow up,

All there on their own,

And we must do the rooting out,

Or they’ll get overgrown.

Lord, help us root out everything,

That makes good harvest slow,

And help us keep on planting,

The righteous seeds to sow.

“…You will always harvest what you plant…” (Gal. 6:7, NLT)

The spiritual principle of sowing and reaping is an important one. Grace reveals to us the connection between what we choose and the consequences of our choices. The seeds planted produce a result, for better or for worse. Grace forgives our bad choices and empowers us to plant new seeds. Grace comforts us as we learn the needed lessons. And alongside this principle is the importance of not allowing something to take root and grow that causes damage. That’s why the writer of Hebrews urges us to be rid of every bitter root that will poison or defile many. Garden lessons are graphic. They get our attention and illustrate plainly how God has called us to live. May we have ears to hear and eyes to see.

Lord, help us plant righteous seeds and root out damaging weeds, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Tim Cox, timcox.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Tim, and God bless you.