Knowing that our neighbor hadn't had time to work in her flower beds, I went to plant some flowers for her. “Tell me where you want them and just sit back and enjoy,” I contended. She was so excited! She and her daughters were good company while I placed each plant in its specified spot.
Wanting to do something in return, my neighbor offered me some of her comfrey plant. With shovel in hand, I eagerly began to dig deep and hard into its roots. Confused about what I was doing, my neighbor’s young daughter whispered, “Mommy, why is Bonnie digging up our weeds?”
Sometimes it is difficult to tell the difference between a weed and a plant with which we believe has significant benefits. In fact, it often depends upon whom you talk to. For instance, some folks consider dandelions to be weeds, while others love to eat them, make wine from them or dry their leaves for the health benefits of dandelion tea.
Don’t we sometimes see people in a similar light? Sadly, I’ve heard others refer to those who function differently from themselves as being “useless” or a “waste of space”.
It may seem to us that all some people do is choke the life out of others
and drain the energy from the environment that they share.
However, if our Creator truly fashioned all things
and has a purpose for everything under the heavens,
then it has to include these “worthless weeds”.
Through the years, I have often referred to those who are difficult for me to be around as “sandpaper people”. Sandpaper people are those whom God has chosen to be a part of my life for the purpose of exposing and smoothing out my rough edges! While “weedy people” may seem more offensive than “sandpaper people,” according to Matthew 13:24-30, even “weedy” people have a purpose in our lives:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
“‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
“‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”
The way some Christians talk about others, I often wonder if they aren’t pleading with God to get on with the collecting and burning of “weeds”! Could it possibly be that they have a few “weedy” characteristics of their own? Maybe they don’t realize that it is the presence of “weeds” which force us to develop deeper and stronger roots in Him! I suppose they aren’t aware of the risks of getting uprooted prematurely! Be careful what you pray for!
Whole-Heartedly,
Bonnie
P.S. Please feel free to contact me with questions, thoughts, topics you’d like to ponder or to read past articles at: http://whole-heartedlife.blogspot.com/. You may also contact me at:
Bonnie Jaeckle
In Search of the Whole-Hearted Life
Diagonal Progress
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Interesting thoughts in your post. You're right, it all depends on how we look at issues.
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