Wheat and Weeds Living

 … while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. (Matthew 13:29-30)

I admire people who can get out there and weed their garden every day, making way for the good plants to flourish. Flowers or vegetables. Our vegetable garden tends to succumb to a life of heartfelt trying in the beginning to, well, surrender that both will just have to cohabitate. I know very little about tending a garden, so unless something changes color and size, I’m not sure what’s out there that needs to be pulled. But by God’s grace, we still reap some harvestable elements despite the weeds. I’m happy to see what God had done, behold the benefits and receive and enjoy the goodness of tomatoes, peppers, and more. I saw the plants grow tall. I witnessed the buds turn to shapes, grow larger and larger, then change color. Despite those nasty weeds. I saw goodness growing and blooming, bringing certain hope of something delicious!

Life can be, is, like that. Right alongside some of the good things in life are things (like bad news, life challenges, anger, fear, worry …) that want to choke those good things from our view, our memory, our relishing. But with the mighty hand of God, beauty and fruitfulness can still be had and your ability to enjoy the blessings from God won’t be destroyed – unless you let it - by turning all your time and energies to the “weeds”.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)