Down to the Roots

Last month, at my husband Gene's post-op appointment to check on the healing of his back, his surgeon gave him specific okays to drive and fish, but not mow or work. I bit my tongue as I am learning to do and just smiled. A few weeks ago, being the great wife that I am (wink, wink) I told Gene that I would mow our lawn for our son who was gone for the weekend.

We bought our home 9 years ago and this was my first time mowing. That would be one advantage of having a muscular 14 year old son. It was actually kind of fun, but please don't tell Gene or Aaron this because I don't want them to get any ideas in their little minds.

Anyway, I'm known for starting one project and letting another project catch my eye and lure me away from what I was doing and not finishing either one. Drives Gene crazy that I try multi-tasking, especially when he is supervising the job. I couldn't help it though when we went to the backyard to mow and I saw this on the side of our patio...

There is 3 of them and they are just weed surrounded eye sores. Last year I took one out after Gene said there was no way I could do it and suddenly I felt up to the challenge again, even though Gene never gave me one. When he realized I had no plans of mowing until at least one of the ugly bushes disappeared, he went into the house and told me to call him when I got tired and was ready to finish what I had started. I knew I wouldn't be mowing anytime soon because from previous experience, these things are deep into the ground and hard to get out. That's why they are on my 4 year plan. I pull out one a year...so by 2010 I'll be completely rid of my ugly bushes.


Determined, I went and retrieved the essentials to tackle my task: Gold Claw thing, a shovel, a saw and to work I went. Not being a lawn person, I forgot to wear gloves so after five blisters, a lot of sweat, the curiosity of a dog and a few hours later I ended up with this...here's Kane sniffing my work.

Look how big around the thing is, but let me show you what held this big thing in the ground and caused me to break out in a gross sweat...

See the 2 sticks that are almost in the center but toward the right of the picture? Those 2 things are still in the ground. I couldn't get them out for anything. When I would finally get things detached they would unravel far away from the bush itself. The roots on this thing were so deep.

I had to take pictures because God showed me something through all my sweat and almost tears. Sometimes we recognize that something is not good in our life and we just trim it down thinking: problem solved. I believe that those are the times that Satan backs away from us and lets us sit in our comfort zone thinking we are done with that problem or habit. Then the weeds start to surround us and the enemy's attacks are ruthless.


We have to get to the root of our behavior in order to make some real changes in our lives and we can't do it on our own. Later that afternoon when I shared everything from the blistered hands to the roots still grounded with my sweet friend Maya she said, "Because when we do try to do it on our own we end up with blisters on our hands as proof."

Dear friends, we have to call on the name of Jesus and let Him be the Gardener in our life.

John 15:1-2

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

May we allow God to come in and prune away what He doesn't want in our lives. As the Master Gardener, He is aware of the weeds that want to choke the life out of us. Let's give Him the okay to cut away until He has us just the way He wants us. I know that the times I allow Jesus to get to the root of my problem, my life displays the beauty of the Gardener. The times I try to be in control my life looks like the side of my patio...full of weeds and just plain ugly. Let's have lives that are easy on the eye....full of His beauty.

Have a great weekend.

~Many Blessings~

Love,