Weeding our gardens

This weekend I spent some time weeding what seems to have become a jungle in the summer heat and humidity. Tall grass was mixed in with day lilies, small plants had poked up through the walkway, dandelions had popped up again, vines from the other side of the fence had wrapped stubborn tendrils around the small trees. I have to say it was very satisfying to get the trimmers out and then pull out wayward plants with my hands.

We may not have physical gardens to tend to, but we could all use a bit of weeding from time to time. The summer, with its change of pace and opportunities for reflection, can sometimes allow us to see the weeds more clearly that have popped up in our lives. We may discover weeds in our workplace, our homes, our relationships and even inside us in our habits and thought patterns.

For any Christian educators, our weeds may be classrooms over-full with things that are actually hampering learning. They may be stored up experiences that weigh us down or have even compromised aspects of our ministry, whether that be conflict with a family, resentment about people not pulling their weight or showing up on time, or the lack of value and financial support given to children, youth and our programs. It is important to say that the people aren't the weeds here. It is the effect of the behaviour and our resulting anger, frustration, resignation or cynicism. Our weeds may also be our use of time, for example addiction to social media and exposure to facbook posts that are negative and divisive. They may be our drive to be and offer bigger and better while exhausting ourselves in the process. You may be able to think of more.

So how do we extricate weeds? I've learned that the best time is after rainfall, when the ground is soft. Then you can grasp the weed close to the root and pull out the whole thing in one fell swoop. Trying to do this in dry, hard ground usually results in pulling off just the top, leaving the rest to grow back quickly, and perhaps stronger than before. I also had to take care to not also pull out the flowers that had been inter-mixed with the weeds at the same. This took some patience and careful attention to leave the flower intact, able to blossom unrestricted.

Pulling out our own weeds can be time-consuming and tiring. Burgeoning classrooms and cupboards can be exhausting just to look at. If you are not a compulsive organizer like me, think of who you know who is and who might enjoy the challenge. Wounds and aspects of relationships with others are more complicated. We need to prepare the soil with prayer, reading God's Word and discernment, reminding ourselves of the humanity and realities of the person involved. Perhaps the weed of resentment will be pulled out with a gentle conversation, the weed of anger with careful expression of concerns seeking forgiveness for misunderstanding or pain caused, the weed of cynicism with visiting other churches and books and websites to remind us of God's Spirit's renewal and power, the weed of frustration with journaling and understanding its root. 

It can be a time-consuming process, and just when we think we're finished, a new batch of weeds can show up. We are forever growing and changing, as are our gardens and ministries. With that change comes the potential for issues and challenges. Be good to yourself, reminding yourself of the beauty you have created and continue to create through God's goodness. Without the weeds, our flowers can bloom freely, reaching their potential. When carefully tended, our ministries and our lives flourish unrestricted by whatever may hold them back.

Weeding reminds us of our humanity and our dependence on God for the gardens we are entrusted to tend. It offers the chance for reconciliation and is therapeutic. It returns focus to ourselves rather than others who we can't control. It encourages us to be responsible stewards of our lives and ministries. 

May you find healing and peace through spending some time in your gardens this summer. May God bring you gentle rains and the courage to remove those things that hold you back from God's best for you.