Weeding gardens and hearts

Today, I tried to write about the journey my kids and I have been on this summer.
I just couldn't simplify and structure my thoughts.
So full has been this summer.  Full of lessons, growth and change.
The most distinctive and tangible example we have had is the week I declared we were going to pull weeds.




My front garden was overrun with weeds.  Years of allergies and unable to get into the soil like I wanted, a full life and then an accident that changed our lives in more ways than could ever be expected.  This year out of frustration with attitudes and issues within my home and knowing the lessons God has written in my heart when I have knelt in the garden to work, I assigned weeding.  All 5 of us (my 4 youngest kids still at home and myself) were going to weed 20 minutes a day every day.  The task seemed overwhelming and I knew we needed bite size chunks of time.  The first couple of days, we weeded in various arrangements together.  Those first couple of the days, the kids quickly learned the importance of rising early.  Early morning weeding isn't as hot and sweaty of a chore.  By the end of that first week, there was a significant change to the first garden.  It didn't look the same.  100 minutes for 5 days.  An overwhelming task reduced to 20 minutes a day per person and a huge impact was made.  All 4 of them took note.

The lesson continues.  Weeds keep popping up.  Work has to keep on.  BUT 20 minutes a day isn't so much and when we work together it is amazing how much is accomplished and how light the load is in the end.  That is true whatever the job.  I frequently quote, "many hands make light work." They know this applied to loading up chairs at church, doing dishes, laundry.  Now they know this applied to attacking an overwhelming mess and in the constant maintenance/preventive work.

They are learning the importance of getting the root. Breaking off the tops, only creates a temporary "clean" look.  However, the root is getting bigger and more established and it only gets harder and more difficult to rid yourself of the troublesome plant.  We have had many trees in the garden where this is true.  The top part was a simple little twig that kept being broken off.  Yet, the roots grew and grew.  In one case, so much, that a rose bush had to be pulled out with the "tree" with a tow chain.  We still don't know if the rose bush will come back.  It was hard and grueling work. There were tears, truth be told, these rose bushes hold special meaning to me.  The trees allowed to take root reflect a truth I never wanted to face.  With each "tree" and deeply rooted weed there is a sagging of the shoulders and a groan.  My heart cries out to God, as I choose to not live in denial and address the problem at the root.  We bolster ourselves and encourage each other and attack.  Some plants have to be killed first with poison.  Then "trunks" cut from the roots.  The roots are too deep and have spread too far, but the trunk has to be removed.  So we apply the poison, allow it to work and go back and cut away the trunk from the roots. Then we can refill the holes.  My heart rests in this work, realizing the lessons God is whispering into my children. My heart fills with gratitude and hope as I watch my son, almost a man, take initiative and learn these powerful lessons with few words and work with determination to reclaim what has been overrun.  He has taken on much of the hard labor attacking the tree roots.  He watched me sweat and cry as I battled it out over the rose bush and resign myself to the fact a tow chain would have to be used. I think intuitively knowing there was more there than just frustration and hard labor.  The physical battle to save a rose bush and get rid of a tree was reflective of what was happening internally.

There are so many parallels between gardening and life.  So many lessons to be told.  As I struggled to find the words, I put away my writing.  Then I read this: How I got covered in poison, on my facebook feed. I could only exhale and say WOW.  The encouragement I received in knowing others find and see the parallels of life in the work of their hands. This all followed, our visit to the theater today where we saw Cinderella in which the reoccuring theme was "Have courage and be kind."  When I asked each of my kids to answer 3 questions about the movie:  favorite part, least favorite part and what they learned, they all learned the importance of rising above the hard in life and choosing to seek better, to be kind, to be honorable, to keep trying.

I put aside my writing of this post to attend a Bible Study. A time came for sharing. For weeks, this time of sharing has caused me distress.  What do I say?  How do I say it?  Knowing there are two sides and perspectives can be vastly different.  Wanting to know how to share where I am and be God honoring.  Wanting to point to my Heavenly Father and be truthful of where I am at.  This night, there was no anxiety.  Just peace and a breathless reaching out to God and I shared. In the end, was greatly encouraged.  People see the work being done in my heart and life.  It is visible, just as the changes in my gardens at home are becoming visible.  All I could do is whisper, Thank you, Thank you God for seeing me and meeting me where I am and encouraging me.  All this work, all these tears, they are not for naught.