Weeds

Walking in the neighborhood with Jackie this morning.

Clear, breezy and cool.

New asphalt layer put down...a rubbery, pebbly, coat over the whole street, even overlapping the concrete edging seam. Crews did this a few days ago and it spruces up the neighborhood quite a bit.

But at the edges where concrete meets & is overlaped by asphalt there are considerable bumps appearing...and in lots of them green hues appearing.

Weeds.

Strong enough to push fresh concrete up and away and keep taking over their territory.

If I were to stop and stare I would see no movement...no movement at all. But if we had a time lapse camera and set it for one day or two per shot....in just a few days it would appear to be a giant with green fingers reaching up from below.

Weeds.

Lots of action in our lives that can be classified as weeds...stuff that moves the clear pavement of His presence backwards and disfigures the grace of the moment in our lives. Jesus talked about weeds. Seems like it has always been a factor.

For me weeds seem to develop this way: "just this once" moments that turn into "little innocent habits" that turn into life pattern...that erodes character and the ability to be sensitive to the still small voice of God's Spirit...and did I tell you how it shuts down clear witness?

Not a great topic for our culture, bent on personal freedoms and expression...

But it seems to me that in every generation, people marked by a reliable life of hearing God and making an impact on culture, were people who drew clear lines. It wasn't "everybody's doing it" so it's ok...it was "I have come to do Your will, Oh God....and it seems to me like this habit is not part of Your will for my life."

Weeds....we've got a kind that I have to use a long screwdriver to unearth the spindly root from regrowing another noxious plant. It seems to have developed an ability to let me grab the tops stuff and think I got it....while fooling me all the time. Its root is always longer than its plant.

If a dumb weed can be that smart...how about the enemy of our souls.

May God give us the forsight to deal with weeds...before they take over the rich soil of our hearts.

Selah.

David