Wednesday, June 11, 2008

My yard, and God's. . .

This summer I've started digging into the yard. Since the removal of huge trees in the back, the sun has been stimulating the growth of many, many things, especially those things we call weeds.
Not wanting to use lots of pesticides, I've been crawling around on my hands and knees pulling. I purchased some natural vinegar stuff from the garden center, but it really doesn't work well. I have a bunch of weeds out there. Since I can't be in the sun, I am an evening and morning gardener.
I was pulling and thinking: God...why'd you make these? I want a pretty yard. I'm not a Nazi about it or anything. I don't mind the occasional weed or two since I'm primarily organic. But, these things are prolific. They aren't pretty, they are intrusive, and they interfere with the "peace" of the garden.
They are the "sinners" of my yard. The imperfect things that I wish weren't around. They misbehave, and they just won't quit. They are defiant. And, yet, what I call weeds were put there by the Creator. In fact, there are more "weeds" out in the world than there are pretty, perfect, well-behaved flowers and plants. What is their purpose?
I can pull, pluck, poison, or pray, and they'll still be there. And, He lets them be there! He created them--these stubborn, ugly, belligerent things.
Why?
Just some thoughts as I'm wiping the sweat droplets from my nose.

14 comments:

Don said...

OK, I see the metaphor...Let me marinate a while and I'll get back to you.

Therese Z said...

Because all of creation is fallen, "subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God." (Romans 8)

Besides, the weed you see is probably part of the beautiful garden of another part of the world and time. Care and cultivation change that. Today's roses were yesterday's stickety little annoying bushy weeds.

Which do you prefer the lesson to be in: charity or hope?

Missy said...

I'm going to bypass the metaphor today. I'm thinking too much as it is.

I say you have your boys till over the sites that are worse and throw out some mad amount of grass seed.

I recently used some of that yard patch stuff on grub damage, and I had a beautiful patch of grass in 10 days.

You gotta replace the stuff you want to get rid of with the good stuff so it can't come back. (Isn't there a scripture about a demon coming back with friends once you kick him out and clean up the place?)

Oh, snap! I got metaphorical anyway.

karen said...

Seriously, folks, just pondering.
We're the ones who decide which are weeds, which not.

TZ, charity.

Missy, hubby wants to rototill. Do we have to get the yard marked AGAIN for lines to do that? I'm trying to make these areas xeroscaped beds with native plants for less water use.

karen said...

Native plants. . .ha ha! Guess the weeds are the natives!! ;-)

Therese Z said...

Then if the lesson is to be charity, you'd have to start regarding those weeds as strong, determined and beautiful instead of ugly and in your way.

If it had been hope, you'd have to start looking at those weeds and trying to figure out to care for them so that they might grow beautiful, because they're all God's weeds and God didn't make no ugly weeds.

karen said...

No need for hope; God provides that.
Charity is our responsibility.

Anonymous said...

It's starting to look like we have the potential to turn ourselves into planetary weeds. "Be fruitful and multiply" seems to have been interpreted as "Be like a plague of locusts and mindlessly multiply in an absence of predators until your ever growing numbers leads you to start dying off from disease, in-fighting over diminishing resources and generally fouling your own nest."

karen said...

Gee, Paul. I don't know whether to laugh or cry at that!
;-)
Thanks for coming by. I'll check out your blog!

kc bob said...

Kind of the way life is.. we all have to deal with some kind of weed :(

Anonymous said...

I wonder if you'll even see this comment, as you posted last month. None the less -- love the subject.

I instantly shot to my own line of questions I've held - why do we have to eat, sleep, blink, why? What's the purpose? Then I thought of 'weeds' being intentional or rebel-growth. God certainly makes reference to weeds & their headaches & probs they cause. Selfish characteristics, etc. Were they created hardy plants, able to survive on little in harsh environs or callus little growths that have grown in ways contrary to God's intent due to overdevelopment of certain aspects of their makeup caused by a severe disruption in the intended environ; now replaced by the fallen world we initiated. Would / did they behave as weeds in THE Garden ... but now w/ maybe more sunlight (canopy? gone) ... different moisture content in air ... presence of seasons. Are they the demons of the plant world?

karen said...

Thanks for the thoughts, Tim. Glad you're here.
Well, I've thought about it, as I've started taming the yard, and I realized that were we to leave our yards and environs alone, things would just grow.
It's not until we as humans started to manipulate, organize, cut, hybridize (is that even a word?!) and mold creation into our vision that weeds (which are plants that are in our way and not in our plans) became the evil ugly things.
Which is the way it's supposed to be? Our way, or nature's way?
If we walk in a meadow, or a forest, it's all lovely. We accept all the plants there that are considered weeds in our yards. I have several "volunteer" plants that I've accepted.
Maybe the weeds are the rebellious ones, or maybe we're the controlling ones.
Maybe the weeds are like the folks we decide don't fit into the "Christian" mold; but maybe when He looks down, all He sees is the beautiful meadow of His creation.

Anonymous said...

Karen ... one word --- Kudsu :-)

karen said...

LOL!That's what I get for trying to be profound! :-D