That Dreaded Chickweed!

Since my own name is Mary – that’s probably one reason I love that verse in Luke that says “Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”  In fact when I need to think before acting on something I often say “Mary will ponder these things in her heart.”

For a long time – I’ve sensed that I should journal and share more of my “ponderings.”   So here goes.

That Dreaded Chickweed!

That dreaded chickweed! My garden was full of it this year. Warmer winter weather was sprouting a bumper crop of bright green chickweed in my vegetable garden.

Normally I’d weeded my garden spot by late January, but not this year.  But last week brought another sunny afternoon and I knew it was time to attack the “dreaded chickweed.”

I donned my new bright green garden gloves, grabbed my I-pod and hoe and headed to the garden patch. As I punched up my “Christian Music” I thought about picking and choose songs – but that little voice said “just let it play.” So I did.

 

As I began to chop and pull all those clumps of chickweed – marvelous lyrics soon began to overpower my mind and heart.   Before I realized it, chickweed pulling soon became the background while words and tunes became the foreground of the afternoon.  I began singing along to praise and worship songs like - ”My Jesus, My Savior, Lord, there is none like You…”  Other verses reminded that “like a rose trampled on the ground- You (Jesus) took the fall and thought of me above all.”  Some songs made me want to dance, other words reminded me “Lord, I have made you too small in my eyes…O Lord, forgive me…be magnified, O Lord!”

At times I found myself in dirt covered shoes and with hoe in hand – standing in the garden worshiping.

As I gazed at the bright blue afternoon sky, the words “All creation worships You” rang in my ears.

Then the Lord reminded me that like that dreaded chickweed…there’s stuff in my life that needs pulling out –my own weeds of life.  Even Jesus talked about those weeds in Matthew 13: 25… “But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.”  What had grown up in my life that He would call a weed?  What needed pulling out?   My self-centeredness?   Wanting my agenda before His? Not loving others very well?

The music played on and more weeds were pulled.  It was one of the best afternoons I’d had in a long time. I was rejuvenated, inspired, humbled, repentant and very thankful. Leave it to the Lord to turn “chickweed” into “worship”!

Thanks for pondering with me…

Mary

Matthew 13:25

"But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away."

Matthew 13:40

"As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age."