The Difference

Plant metaphors are so easy to come to and terribly simplistic. But sometimes truth is that way, too.


Everyone knows that this summer was hot beyond belief.  I did pretty well at keeping up to pulling the weeds in my landscaping.  And then, I just went to trying to keep the plants alive.  Forget the weeds.  I spent hours watering before sun rise which was a huge sacrifice for someone who loves to sleep in a bit.


We have had a bit of a respite from the heat for a few days.  Now they say the sun is about to pour it on again.  So I watered the plants this morning and took a look again at my bed around my mailbox.  It was disgusting.  I've been embarrassed to have my mail delivered!  


Let's just say that if you find yourself mowing around the edges of a bed to help keep some of  the weeds down, you are in trouble.  So I did just a little work and pulled the weeds in the picture above.  I have a long ways to go but that is a good start.


Something that I've always noticed about weeds is that usually the bigger they are the easier they are to pull out.  Kind of like sin.  It is so much easier to see the "bigger" sins and decide to repent of them and get them out of our heart.  I mean, duh?  So obvious.


But those little ones......


You know what  I mean.  The weeds that grow close to the ground whose roots are waaaaaay deeper than those big fluffy weeds that SEEM to cover so much ground.  Those little ones are hidden and send deep, deep roots trying to establish themselves in our landscapes.


Just like sins.  I find that usually the little things that I can "hide" are more deeply rooted in my heart than the obvious really "sinful"  things that we all agree to be hideous.


Sometimes those weeds actually look like little flowers.  So deceptive.  


And so it is with sin.  


So this morning I'm convicted to toss the big, ugly obvious sins quickly out of my life and go for rooting out the small, deceivingly lovely ones that I have rooted deep down in my heart.


The difference is so wonderful!