Weeds, Abundance, and Looking Back

Purslane

Gardening provides many opportunities to experience the blessings and creativity of God on an intimate level. Recently I was struck by the abundance He pours out on us in the weeds He causes to grow. As I was cleaning out an overgrown flower bed, I noticed that almost every weed I was removing was one that could be eaten, and which provided health benefits superior to the vegetables which He had caused to grow by means of my planting. 

I did not come to this revelation through my time spent in the garden, looking at the broad picture and striving to maintain control in the face of daily trials. Rather, I was able to see the value of these “invaders” because of time I spent in study later, when the day’s gardening was done. And, because I had taken the time to learn more about the abundance God brought to my little plot of land, I was able to recognize the blessings in the weeds.

God’s abundance extends to other areas of our lives as well. There are so many experiences coming at us- so many lessons He is trying to teach us. Sometimes the lessons are hard. And sometimes the lessons are good, but their memory leaves the sadness of things past. The abundance of these experiences can overwhelm us. Often we see these like we see the weeds- as something simply to be dealt with- and go past them without ever really understanding why they were given to us. 

It is tempting to move on to the next thing without looking back- to yank the “weeds” and focus on the “vegetables”. But I don’t want to just experience the lessons, I want to learn from them as well. I want to be nourished by all of the abundance with which God fills my life. And that often involves time spent in reflection, studying the things that have taken place in my life, and asking God to reveal what He wants me to learn from those things.