Scripture: “Do you want us to go and pull them?” “No” he answered, “because while you are pulling the weeds you may root up the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest.” Matthew 13:28b-30a

I like to travel alone in my car. I can listen to the music I want to listen to, as many times as I want, as loud as I want, and sing at the top of my lungs. I can stop when I need to stop and pick out the snack that I want. I can make a phone call and hear the person on the other end of the phone. I can pray and cry and laugh and be who I really am alone in my car. I think I like the freedom it gives me. If only life were a little more like that, right?

I was kind of pondering all this driving on a 3 hours trip alone over the weekend. I am not a loner. I can be alone, but if given a choice would choose others’ company. But there is certain refuge in some alone time with God. I like seeing his face in the many things along the way. My favorite thing lately is the wildflowers God is now planting along the interstates in Tennessee. I am so glad that He planted those just for my enjoyment, but I hope He does it at every exit, because it just makes the drive more beautiful!

I am amazed at how from a distance the poppies are brilliant, but as you get closer you can see that there are hay and weeds growing in with the flowers. Standing far off you can’t see the extra stuff growing between. But at a closer look I can see that they can’t cut the grass, if they want the flowers to grow.

There are always flowers among the tall grass, we just focus on that which is not flowering most of the time. God plants good seed everywhere. Do we? Notice how from far off it looks lovely, but it is at a closer view I noticed the taller grasses. I think we are that way too. From a distance we as Christians look lovely, but take a closer look, there are weeds in that garden. But we don’t want others to see that part. Sometimes we even cut the flowers down to get the grasses out and we never see the developed flower because we are too afraid people will have to see the weeds. Oh if we could just become less focused on appearances and more focused on Jesus. If we could just expose ourselves to one another and be authentic.

God plants a seed; others and the Holy Spirit water it. It is then pruned and shaped to display His splendor and yes he must even let us grow weeds to bring out more of the beauty in His strength and our weaknesses. The exciting part is the harvest it yields! Notice wheat, corn or cotton in harvest times. The farmer does not go in and remove the weeds before cutting the crop. He cuts weeds and all, and then it is sifted down to bring about its final purpose. Our great gardener knows we have weeds, but he would not cut them for fear of damaging the final product. Instead He waits on us to flower and bloom and exposes the weeds so that He can sift away the good from the bad. That sifting process is not fun or pretty, but His purpose is worth it. There is beauty, despite the weed…

Leslie Stephens
Winchester, TN

Prayer: Show us the beauty in life despite the tall grass and weeds. Help us to mature in our faith and expose our sin, so that we will find true repentance. Amen!

Prayer Tip: Look at nature with a wondering eye and God will speak to you as you listen.

7-1-07