Fruit From Weeds: Insight 9

Even weeds can be redeemed

Last, but by no means least, our glut of weeds provided a lot of compostable material.  Those weeds, combined with the coffee grounds and yard waste, gave us 6 or 8 yards of good compost.

Those were all things society had no use for. In a word, they were garbage. But God’s perfect wisdom, working through far from perfect gardeners, turned them into a rich resource that will help feed many, many, folks.

We shouldn’t be surprised by that—God has a long history of changing what no one else values into great blessings. Think about the Hebrews; God turned a small, and very dysfunctional, family into a people that gave us our Savior and key values of Western Civilization. Deuteronomy 7:6-8.  Think about Joseph and David.  They were the least thought of members of their families, but God used both powerfully to bless thousands in their times and billions over the years.  He still does that every time he turns one of us sinners into a saint.  1 Corinthians 1:28 puts it well, God chooses the “lowly things of this world and the despised things” to deliver His love.

Fruit From Weeds: Insight 8

It’s easier to weed well tended soil & it gets easier to pull weeds once you've pulled adjacent weeds

We learned two other things while weeding.

First, it’s easier to weed good soil. We only had enough compost in the spring to cover part of our beds, and the weeds came out of the composted beds much easier than the others. 

Second, we found that individual weeds were easier to pull after immediately adjacent weeds had been removed. That’s probably because the soil around the second weed was loosed to some extent by pulling the first weed. 

Those dynamics are consistent with life in general. Tasks tend to get easier once we’ve made some initial effort toward their accomplishment. 

Those dynamics are also consistent with Scripture. Proverbs 10:4 and Proverbs 21:5  tell us that diligence tends to make things go well.  Matthew 25:14-29 likewise teaches us that God blesses those who are active in trying to do His work.

My point here is not to pat myself on the back (to the contrary, we wouldn’t have had weed problems in the first place if I had done things right), but to highlight another example of the truth of God’s word being illustrated by real life. We just have to keep our eyes open to see them.

Fruit From Weeds: Insight 7

One weed at a time

Faced with a lot of weeding, it is tempting to try to pull multiple weeds at one time. Resist that temptation. Otherwise you will likely end up with a handful of leaves while the weeds’ roots remain the ground.  The bed may look better right now, but those roots will grow new leaves in short order, consuming more of the soil’s nutrients. And guess what, you’ll have to weed the same area all over again.

Instead, focus on one weed at a time. That will make it more likely to get the roots out, ending that weed for good. As scripture puts it, “accumulation little by little is the way to riches.” Proverbs 13:11(New Jerusalem Bible)

Fruit from Weeds: Insight 6

Enjoy the Good Stuff as You Go Along

Weeding is not my favorite task, but it does have one pleasant aspect—it gets me close to the crops and the soil. It puts me at ground level with my hands in the middle of a bed.  That gives me a close up view of our crops’ beauty. It also gives me a chance to appreciate the soil and how much life it contains. That can bring a lot of joy. The secret is to look beyond the weeds at the good things around them.

That is true of life in general. We all have routine duties that are not themselves pleasant, but show us good stuff if we open our eyes. We have to flip our clothes in the spring and fall and iron them in between.  Neither chore is fun, but both remind us of God’s provision.  We have to proof read a document (the epitome of tedium), but that forces us to examine what God has given us the talent and opportunity to write.  

You get the idea; God gives us ways to experience joy in the midst of the mundane. We just have to open our eyes. Maybe that’s why He tells us to “rejoice always; pray without ceasing” and  “in everything give thanks.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.

Fruit from Weeds: Insight 5

Don't look at how much you have to do. Instead, focus on what is right in front of you & take satisfaction in pulling each weed.

Our beds are 50 feet long and 5 feet wide. When the weeds were in full rampage that resulted in 250 square feet to weed in each bed. And there were usually multiple beds that need weeded at any given time. It could seem overwhelming if you looked at it in total.

The best way to deal with that is to start on one bed and focus on what is right in front of you. Start with the biggest weed and concentrate on pulling it. Enjoy the process of pulling it out and the clean space that results. That will motivate you to tackle the next weed. That in turn will motivate you to take on the weed after that, and so on. Don’t think about how much more of the bed  needs weeding. Before you know it you have covered significant ground.

Scripture tells us that approach works on all tasks, not just weeding. Proverbs 13:11 teaches, “accumulation little by little is the way to riches” (New Jerusalem Bible). Ecclesiastes 2:24 and 3:13 tell us to take satisfaction in the work we do. Psalm 37:1-3, Proverbs 4:25, and Matthew 6:33-34 all tell us to focus on doing what God put right in front of us and not to get upset about other things.