maturity

Beauty Awaits

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

It was Memorial Day. I was weeding the flower bed on the south side of the house.  I’ve decided that this is the year I am going to keep my flowerbeds clean and clear of weeds.  I looked over at my neighbor’s flowerbed. It hasn’t been touched yet this spring.  Not because of a busy schedule.  The pandemic has hit and the neighbors haven’t left their house much.

My neighbor and I have an agreement. Our flowerbeds are not in competition with each other. We don’t try to outdo one another. We admire from afar when the beds are well kept.  We keep our thoughts to ourselves when they aren’t. And that is that.

But so far this year, I’m winning. But as I said, this isn’t a competition. Oh. My flowerbed still has weeds. They’re never ending. But at least, there’s space between the plants. It’s clear where the peonies end and the irises begin. And the strawberries are separate from the zinnias that have begun to pop up. But still. There is much work to do in this flowerbed.

I fear that the deer will soon devour all the strawberries that are blooming. It would be nice, for once, to be able to eat those strawberries ourselves. We aren’t growing them to feed the deer. But then. There are also the hostas and day lilies that seem to get devoured by the deer. Those I’m not so worried about.

There are some very shady spots in my backyard that need attention. With all the rain that we’ve had, the weeds just pop up overnight. It’s hard to keep them under control. Perhaps a good layer of mulch would help manage that problem. But who has the time? Work keeps calling my name. 8 hours a day. 5 days a week. By the time the day is over, who wants to pull weeds? But I realize that’s the sacrifice that must be made in order to keep the flowerbeds looking their best.

I have lofty goals for this garden. Oh. It’s not big. It’s not majestic. It will never win awards. But I want to keep it weed free and thriving. I want to plant a variety of flowers and shade loving, deer resistant perennials. My goal is to see a beautiful garden in the midst of my normal life. But it will take work. Back breaking, sweaty work. Am I up for the challenge?

So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Hebrews 6:1

I find the same amount of work must go into my Christian life. If I want to see beauty and growth in my relationship with God, I must take the time to pull the weeds of sin out of my life. Those weeds can choke out the peace that God provides.

Keeping my relationship with God growing is hard work. It takes time. It takes effort. It takes sacrifice and commitment. It isn’t always easy to make reading my Bible a priority, but it is necessary in order to know who God is. I must choose to spend time in prayer. Spending time with my Maker and Provider is a daily must. There is no wiggle room in that.

As I was weeding the flowerbeds this morning, I realized I couldn’t distinguish some annuals I had planted from the weeds. Until the annuals bloom, I won’t know if they are weeds or flowers. It’s because I don’t recognize the leaf patterns without the fruit. I realized this is similar to my spiritual growth. It isn’t always easy to distinguish between right and wrong. Sin and obedience. In those times, I must lean in to feel the prick of my conscience or the nudge of the Holy Spirit to help me in my weakness and uncertainty.

I have lofty goals for my soul. Oh. I doubt that I’ll be in the same group as Moses or David or Paul or Abraham. But I want to want to spend eternity in heaven. I want to spend an eternity with my heavenly Father. My goal is to walk the streets of gold. But it will take work while I’m still on this earth. Back breaking, sweaty work. Am I up for the challenge?

Mature Trees

~ mercyfortheday ~ Leave a comment

I remember the trees from 30 years ago. They were always beautiful in the spring. White blooms. Unpleasant scent. Bradford pear. That’s what they’re called. Beautiful but smelly.

I’ve begun driving by those trees again. I park near them at work. But 30 years have gone by. The trees still stand. Taller. Fuller. They produce much more shade. They have matured. They’ve reached their full potential.

I think of all the years these trees have stood lining the street. They’ve seen people come and go. They’ve weathered many a storm. Their branches have been blown by heavy gusts of wind. Their flowers have bloomed every spring and their leaves have fallen every autumn. During the summer, the leaves of those trees have provided shade for anyone walking or parking nearby. In the winter, the bare branches have cast eerie shadows in early nightfall.

They have survived the many unknowns of the past three decades. And still they stand tall and proud. Still they thrive. They’re doing their job. Stand tall. Throw shade. Beautiful blooms. Year after year. Nothing changes for them. Yet everything changes. And still they stand.

Oh. They aren’t invincible. They can be beaten. They can succumb to an invasion of an incurable disease. They can be struck by lightening without notice. They can come down. You see. Bradford Pear trees are perfectly symmetrical and grow in a beautiful shape, yet they are structurally weak. Apparently, these trees are a threat. But who knew?

Yeah. Mature trees are vulnerable. There could be an internal weakness that is unseen by the human eye. A slight crack down the long trunk. Perhaps they are dying of thirst and no one knows. An act of God can take them down without warning. There could be unknown root damage discovered when hope is long gone. Or possibly the damage is due to manmade machines. One never knows what lies beneath the surface of outward beauty.

The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord , they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green. Psalm 92:12-14

The beauty seen on the outside can cover a multitude of sins. Many weaknesses. Many faults. Many fears and uncertainties. Many secrets. But once the outer shell is cracked wide open, the unknown comes spilling out. The truth comes out. It isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always redeemable. Or is it?

Maturity takes hard work and years of determination. Perseverance. Discipline. Cutting off branches that don’t produce fruit. Pruning fruitful branches for even more fruit.

Suckers can drain the life from the tree. They zap water and nutrients from the main tree. They’re unhealthy for the tree. And they’re just plain ugly.

Christian faith is similar to trees. True maturity takes hard work. Cutting out the branches of our lives that aren’t fruitful. Pruning the fruitful talents and skills given by God. And suckers can drain the life out of people. Poor habits. Abusive relationships. Deadly addictions. They’re unhealthy and they’re plain ugly. Age isn’t necessarily a sign of maturity. Do the hard work and put in the time to study and show yourself approved.

For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn’t know how to do what is right. Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong. Hebrews 5:13-14