When I need to water my weeds instead of pulling them out...

Many mornings I do not have the radio on while driving to
work. I take the last few minutes of
quiet to compose myself before starting my work day. This day was different. For some reason, I put the radio on. A satellite station. The host was interviewing an artist. I cannot tell you what the station was or who the artist was,
because I don’t remember. Seriously, I
was barely paying any attention to what was being said. But I heard the artist say this, “I decided
to water my weeds, instead of pull them up.”

Water my weeds instead of pull them up.

Did she decide to work with what was already inside of her,
rather than trying to cultivate something that wasn’t there?

Did she decide to take the broken, ugly part and water it to try and make it something
more pleasing? Something more
attractive? Something beautiful?

I don’t know. But it
got me to thinking…how many times in my life do I have weeds that I try time
and again to pull up, only to have them grow back?

I remember another time in my life when some friends had a
lovely flower garden. The husband was
the gardener and the wife did NOT have a green thumb. One day the wife decided to help out and she
weeded the garden. She pulled up the
plants that were not colorful and beautiful like the other flowers. She pulled and pulled and was so happy to
share her helpfulness with the husband when he got home.

The trouble was…you guessed it…she had pulled up flowers.

She had pulled up things that he planted.

She had pulled up things that needed water and time to
bloom.

Weeds…that needed water.

Weeds…that needed time to blossom and grow.

I have weeds in my life that I have tried to pull up. Weeds I have tried to remove and throw away. Yet, they keep coming back.

But those weeds…well, they were put there by the Master Gardener and he has a
plan. His plan includes some ugly,
unattractive, less than beautiful plantings.
These make up the landscape of my life, just like the beautiful parts.

And often, the weeds became something beautiful when watered,
tenderly cared for and released to the Master Gardener.

Lord, don’t let me pull up the weeds you have planted in my
life. Please help me to recognize them
as gifts from you. Help me to be patient
and water them. Help me to see their
beauty. Help me to care for them and
wait to see what You have planned for them….and for me.

Friends, our weeds are there for a reason.

Maybe it is a lesson we need to learn.

Maybe it is to teach us patience or tolerance.

Whatever the reason…

may we water and
care for them,

instead of pulling them up.

Because one day those weeds may just become

something beautiful.