of grateful praise

This construction zone home of ours. It is providing some extraordinary life lessons. For that, I am thankful.

I spent the last few days getting dirty. Our backyard is a blank slate. Well, it is actually a full slate that needs to be completely erased. But then, it will be a blank slate in which to create. We have lots of dreams for it. But none of them will come to be if WE do not begin working on creating them. Right now, it is a huge rectangle of weeds. Like 3-4 foot high weeds. Packed tight. Everywhere. I am not much of a weeder. No, I had thoughts of going to the local Home Depot and asking a day laborer to come on over and take care of the mess for me. So then, I could begin with the "fun" part. Yeah. That's me. I wanted too, really bad. And I found lots of ways to justify doing it. But I didn't. Because I am trying to grow. Trying to change. To become who I really want to be. Not who my sinful flesh is. Now, I'm not saying hiring a day laborer is sinful. No. To each his own. But for me... it is.

"So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin."

I knew the right thing to do was to work for our land. To exercise my body. To show my boys what is worth caring about. I didn't want to do it. But I had to.

I had to clear the muck before we could have the beauty. Because there is no beauty in weeding.

Or so I thought.

I set forth to do my work. Grudgingly. 'Cause it's nasty. And overwhelming. There are a lot of weeds! But as I began, my heart changed. Instead of looking at the huge rectangle before me, I began looking at the small space I was working on. I began to clear away small sections. And I literally began to smile. Because thoughts started running through my head. Lots of them. These weeds were lessons. Changing my heart. And every now and then, poking me with their reality. I would lift the roots out of the earth. Soil still clinging tight. I would have to shake it off. Keep the good part that clung to the bad. But being very intentional to get each root system fully out. Does this sound familiar? Kinda like life, no?

Some weed roots run deep.

Some weed roots are so very shallow.

Some weeds poke.

Some weeds are pretty on the outside, but are disguised, because really... they rob.

Some weeds can grow so intense, they truly take over.

Some weeds are quite little, you barely notice they are there.

Weeds can cover so much, yet still, there is fresh, rich soil underneath- in which to grow beauty... if only we uproot the weeds.

The only way to get rid of weeds, is to work daily on excavating and disposing of them.

Now go back up there to that little weed list. And replace each weed with sin.

Yep. It's true.

Weeding can, in fact, be beautiful.

Thankful for life's little lessons.