Much to my dismay, I have always had a black thumb. My mother has a lovely green thumb and grows all things beautiful from flowers to house plants to vegetable gardens. She comes by it naturally- my grandfather also grew everything from prize winning orchids in his greenhouse to unlikely little patches of strawberries he let the grand kids pick when we found ripe ones in the crushed shell “soil” of his yard on Anna Maria Island.
My current yard, while a lovely shade of green, is essentially a sham. It looks nice when freshly cut, but any real yard person call tell- we aren’t growing grass. We’re growing weeds. Mind you, I am fine with it. They grow with no effort on my part and because of the big trees that shade my front yard, getting real grass to grow would be a feat of commitment I am not willing to make. There are limits to what a black thumb gardener will do!
Last week I spent 4 hours doing yard work, which mainly consisted of weeding, trimming and hauling yard trash to the curb. I could barely walk 2 days later because my hamstrings were in complete rebellion, as though I have never used them. (Which is rubbish as I bend over to pick up all manner of belongings that my ADHD family somehow cannot see!) None the less, all the misery from my hamstrings got me thinking- it’s just so much easier to grow weeds than a garden. It is a lot less work to have a wild jungle than a lovely yard. The bottom line- the ugly, untamed mess of life will automatically happen, but if you want a pretty yard or garden or life- you have to do the work.
I often am surprised by the results in my life when I am not paying attention. It seems so innocent to be busy with life’s distractions and forget to read my bible for awhile thinking everything will just hum along with no change. I forget the weeds are coming- bad attitudes, anxious thoughts, envy, laziness and complaining. They all just seem to pop up without warning- but the cause is obvious. My sinful heart left to itself will revert back to its sin nature.
From the curse in Genesis till now, the reality is for life to flourish- we will have to work. And it won’t be easy. Sin has changed the way the world works. My sin changes the way my heart works. And though Jesus has saved my soul, my life here will always be a work in progress. Just like my hamstrings rebel when I have not spent much time gardening, my heart rebels when I have been coasting in relationships and disciplines and then suddenly decide it’s time to put some effort in. The best garden is one where the gardener spends consistent time weekly, and often daily, tending to the plants. So often in my life, I want to be able to simply show up for church on Sunday’s or read my bible once a month and still have a growing fruitful marriage, family and walk with God. But that is a delusion. My life will not grow and thrive with occasional maintenance on my soul.
Mountain tops are quickly replaced by valleys in life- have you noticed? There really is no “coasting” as a person. We are either growing stronger and healthier in Christ or we are devolving into the worst version of ourselves over time. The Bible is full of gardens. God himself planted a beautiful one in Genesis and gave Adam and Eve the job of tending to it. They got a little distracted by a talking snake and their own sinful urges and very quickly fear and doubt set in and suddenly they weren’t trusting God but themselves. Psalm 1 says we will be blessed like a giant healthy tree when we do not live primarily being fed by the world but instead taking in a steady diet of God’s word. It say our lives will be fruitful and strong with deep roots to hold us securely in times of storm or drought.
In the past couple years I have walked through seasons of both storms and of waiting. Both are easy times for my heart to run to sin or distraction to comfort, numb or give me the illusion of control. My life always looks the messiest and feels most out of control when I quit tending to my heart. When I infrequently pray, quit sharing my struggles in community, don’t spend time in God’s word or never allow myself time to be still and rest- the weeds take over. Thankfully Jesus always provides me grace to start over- no matter how messy things have gotten. But the best times happen when I keep digging into God’s word and staying present with him in prayer and stillness and worship: then slowly fruit appears- joy, peace, contentment, humility and love.
Growing weeds is simple- just do nothing and watch them take over. The life that flourishes comes through the discipline and persistence of staying connected to the Father. “I am the vine and you are the branches, if a man remains in me and I in him- he will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5
