I love to garden! But I have to admit this year was not a stellar year for vegetables at our home. The soil was tilled, fertilized and rows marked. The anticipation that came from laying the seeds in the freshly turned dirt was soon rewarded by little sprouts pushing their way up through the soil. The excitement built…until the challenges set in.
First it was the woodchucks…sure they have a cute little tongue twister written about them and in February we like to believe they help predict the coming of Spring (yes, the groundhog & the woodchuck are the same varmint) but when it comes to gardens they are downright EVIL!! Not long after the beans and other veggies popped their heads up, the woodchucks helped themselves to a little snack. The beans were blinged, zinnias zapped, even the squash had been snacked on. I was not happy. We replanted the beans, sprayed some sort of stuff that was supposed to keep away the varmints and hoped. It didn’t work.
While disappointed at the loss of crops, there were a few plants left in the garden. The tomatoes were thriving, and the yellow squash had escaped along with a few others. There was still some hope. Then I turned my back for just a day or so. When I turned back all I could see were WEEDS! I couldn’t believe how quickly they had grown and how hard it was to see anything in the midst of them. Again it seemed hopeless.
Then it happened. One day I walked past the garden and saw something round and green where the tomatoes were planted. “No” I thought, “A tomato couldn’t possibly have survived amidst those weeds, could it?” A closer look revealed it was indeed a healthy green tomato. I weighed the options. I could pick that green tomato, fry it up and no longer think about the weedy tomato patch or I could clear a little space around it to let more sunlight in. The third option was to take the plunge and attack those weeds. It didn’t seem possible that there could be much more hidden in that patch but one day I decided to give it a shot.
I pulled.
I dug.
I sweated.
I got really, really dirty.
But I uncovered the treasure!!
Somehow beneath the piles of weeds the tomatoes had not only lived, they had thrived! They began to mature and develop fruit. The more I cleared the more excited I got. Not only was there one thriving , there were several. In fact all that we planted escaped the woodchucks, and even the weeds couldn’t beat them!
Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6
While I was clearing those weeds I began thinking about what might be hiding beneath the weeds in my own life. I thought about the hopes and dreams that I have allowed to get drowned out by the weeds of discouragement and fear. Instead of being confident in God’s promise to complete the works He has started in me and working hard to overcome the things that get in the way I gave up hope and just allowed the “weeds” to have their way. I lost sight of the treasure within me but that doesn’t mean the treasure is gone. It may take some more digging and sweating, and certainly faith and determination. But if God began those works in me I can be confident that He will complete them if I allow Him to help me uncover the treasure and fit the proper pieces back into the puzzle in my life.
Are there hidden treasures in your life that you’ve lost sight of? I’d be honored to pray with you that you would begin to believe once again that with God’s help you can uncover those treasures and find the peace that’s hiding beneath the weeds. Drop me a note and let me know how I can pray for you!
Wishing you blessings and peace today!
Paula
Paula Davis 