Wicked weeds....

Today after I finished my run, I decided I'd mow our back yard. Hubby has a job in the heat all week and son just had his wisdom teeth removed (that was an experience!) so I decided I'd tackle the mowing this week. 

As I mowed, I noticed that we are still dealing with the after effects of Hurricane Katrina all these years later. For one, the trees that once were in our yard providing welcome shade are now gone, that we'd gotten used to. But now, I have noticed that the roots are finally rotting away and in their place they are leaving little gullies - even holes. I've filled these in over and over, but it seems to be a never ending process. Sigh - just one more thing to get used to thanks to that Hurricane.

Then, as I mowed, I noticed another after effect - a rather sharp one! Climbing vines - wicked weeds that slowly make their way into the trees in an attempt to choke the life out of them. I first encountered this "weed" about a year after Katrina, but I didn't realize how evil it truly was. I simply cut it down and went on my way. Now I realized that instead of one evil weed, I had a BUNCH! No problem. This time I'd get them out by the roots.

That proved to be a more daunting task than first imagined. I was able to dig out one, which had a HUGE bulb that looked like something from outer-space. It even had evil looking "eyes" with pods all around! I was not so lucky with the remaining weeds since they were underneath the roots of trees and assorted shrubbery. I was beginning to think these weeds knew what they were doing!

One by one I cut as far into the dirt as I could and then proceeded to pull these vine/weeds from my trees. Some were fairly easy - they were young and the thorns were soft and springy - almost like little fat leaves. They reminded me of those "little sins" that don't seem so bad....

The more developed ones were definitely NOT easy. The thorns resembled something you'd expect to find in the Amazon Rainforest, not in a backyard in South Mississippi! These wicked weed-thorns made blackberry bushes seem like "goose down"! Imagine the kind of thorns used to create the crown of thorns - yeah, now you've got the picture.

These thorns pierced my leather gloves as I tried to pull them from overhead. Some of the vines went all the way to the top of the trees. Before I was done, I had a huge pile of wicked weeds and the remains of at least two azalea bushes. I hadn't planned on cutting them down, but the weeds had so incorporated themselves into the bushes I had no choice. The only way to get to the problem was to cut down the entire thing.

By now, those who know my rambling random thoughts have already made the connection. These weeds, if removed early and removed entirely - well, they aren't that hard to deal with. The ones that have "established" themselves are a much bigger problem indeed. Sin is like that. It seems harmless enough - may even disguise itself as something treasured (At first I thought my mother's rose bush had somehow transplanted itself to my back yard!) But once it is established, it wants to take over every part of you and destroy everything around it.

As I said, this didn't look like something you'd find in a backyard of South Mississippi - I'm pretty sure the storm blew it in. Storms do that. We think we are finished dealing with them and then years later the gullies and holes appear and the wicked weeds rear their ugly heads. Wish I'd been more diligent after the storm and recognized the enemy would use my distraction to take root in my yard.

I've got a lot to "chew" on (and quite a few cuts and scratches) after my yard work today. Most of all, I have to remind myself that I have an enemy that is just looking for his chance to wrap his tendrils around me and kill....Maybe it's time for some spiritual yard work as well.

Proverbs 29:6 (MSG)

⁶ Evil people fall into their own traps;
    good people run the other way, glad to escape.

Hebrews 12:15 (MSG)

^14-15 Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you’ll never get so much as a glimpse of God. Make sure no one gets left out of God’s generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time.