I sit here looking at this picture remembering the insanity of the way this garden was when we bought this home. It was a wild flower path filled with rocks and stones and flowers and weeds galore. In fact I truthfully couldn't tell the difference between a weed and a flower. There was ground cover and bushes and to me all I saw was a mess. It was overgrown and an eye sore to me. There was nothing pretty about it except a few Iris's and a tulip or 2. I sought out advice because I was at a loss. People advised me to give it a year and see what happens. To be honest, I couldn't wait. I felt like I was almost becoming claustrophobic just walking around in the garden. I couldn't enjoy it at all, I wont even mention the mosquitoes we had to deal with. There was nothing about this garden I enjoyed....yet!!!!
Then we had a neighbor come over and literally rip out everything except the hostas and the iris. We just purged the whole thing and started over from scratch. The process was painful, it was difficult and it was costly. We needed a major transformation and this was just the beginning. It was amazing to see the difference between what used to be and what is now. All the hard work, all the backaches and muscle strains was all worth it. The garden is the way I like it...neat and organized.
Like I said the result is amazing. While the new bushes and flowers are still small, it is much better to me without all the clutter. Our lives are a lot like a garden, if we don't tend to the weeds, if we don't prune out the dead, and if we don't nourish our garden it will become a giant mess of overgrown drama and clutter. Their are weeds in our hears we all must deal with. It's called our past. It can infect our hearts, our minds along with our words and actions to a point that makes us a giant mess. We can no longer see the beautiful flowers God has planted in our hearts because we have neglected our hearts and our minds. We can get so wrapped up in the garbage of the past, the negativity of the world and our current circumstances that we can't see the truth about ourselves. Heck we can't even begin to receive the promises of God because we are so blinded by the weeds.
As believers in Jesus Christ we are slowly being transformed into His image, but this process is painful. It means dealing with the weeds and getting rid of them for good. It means pruning away the things or people who are robbing your joy and stealing your time with God. It means digging into the past and dealing with it. It means forgiving others and yourself. It means looking in the mirror and taking an honest look at yourself and take an inventory of your life. What do your words say about you? What does your actions say about you? How have you treated others? How have you treated yourself? When you look in the mirror who do you see? Yourself? Jesus?
2 Corinthians 3:18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's Glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who us the Spirit
We are slowly being transformed much like my garden. I'm not where I need to be but thank God I'm not where I used to be. It ain't easy! It ain't simple! It isn't an overnight process. In fact it will take my entire life, but I will keep allowing God to pull my weeds and prune the dead away. I will allow Him to nourish my soul and get rid of the drama and negativity. Will you join me?
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