Those pesky weeds....

Spring weather finds me weeding in my gardens. Last spring and summer I was pregnant, exhausted and not feeling well, so while gardening did happen, I was less than thorough in my weeding. This year the proof is in weeds. In just one summer of poor weeding, grass and a pesky invasive plant have retaken over my beautiful flower garden! It was unbelievable how quickly it got into all different parts of my formerly well-maintained garden. 

As I ripped out much of the plants, relocating and thinning where necessary, it made me think of my life. I used to have a pretty well-maintained attitude and spiritual life. But in the exhaustion and busyness of mothering, homeschooling, pregnancy, and newborns I feel like the weeds of bad attitudes, self-pity, and anxiety of unimportant things have crept in. And like my garden it all needs some serious weeding. 

Other than just mercilessly ripping it out where necessary, I'm not sure there are any easy ways to do this. I'm not sure that I can rip out the weeds without it hurting, without being challenging, and without thinning out areas in my life that have become overgrown. But it needs to be done, or my life will be just like my garden.... overgrown and weedy. 

Psalm 119:71 says: 

 It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

And again in verse 75 it says:

 I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.

It is not easy to be thankful and rejoicing in afflictions, but how faithful our God is for allowing challenging seasons and circumstances into our lives so that we may learn from them and become more like Him! I want to be more like Him! May I faithfully weed out my heart, Lord, instead of becoming overwhelmed and giving up on my garden, so I can be more like You!