Don't Delay

9/7/2022

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

As I know I have mentioned before, our home came with a very large and mature garden. Most of the flowers are perennials that require very little help from us to keep coming back year after year. I am, however, a reluctant gardener. It is not something I had ever taken up in my adulthood, but I used to help my mother with her gardens when I was a kid. I mostly weeded when I was young, although sometimes I helped plant her marigold seeds. We always had many every spring after collecting them throughout the summer. I make sure to plant marigolds every year, as they bring back happy memories for me. 

For the past six summers I have tried to keep up with all that this large, lovely area requires. I do okay, but I certainly will not be winning any blue ribbons for my efforts. Last July, however, after our pup came to live with us, I completely stopped tending the garden. She needed a lot of training, care, and attention, and, if I am being honest, I could not pull myself away from her. To say the garden became an overgrown jungle would be an understatement. Now we are having to make up for not being vigilant last season. 

So, I have been doing A LOT of weeding this summer. My goal is to go out for at least an hour a day, but I often wind up staying longer. There is so very much to do. This year, my husband mulches after I get a section cleared. Hopefully, that will help a bit in the future. 

As I was pulling out what felt like my millionth weed, I suddenly felt a kinship with my garden; how there is so much beauty there, but the weeds are always trying to take over and choke out what has been purposefully planted. Like I said, last year we were not successful stewards of this lovely place, and there was one particularly aggressive weed that took over a large section. We noticed the spread but were too distracted with the pup to take action. After all, the flowers it produced were also pretty, so what was the harm? Well, this aggressive weed took over almost all of our many Irises, and even though we try to get rid of it, it keeps coming back with a vengeance. 

This reminded me of the undealt with sin in my life. If I ignore it, thinking it isn't going to become invasive, it will take over. Afterwards, the spiritual gifts and fruit of the Spirit that the Lord so mercifully offers to me can be choked out, just like those beautiful Irises. Unfortunately, Satan can lull me into believing that, just like the pretty weed, my sin that goes even temporarily disregarded or unaddressed is not going to be a big deal. Of course, that is one of his biggest lies. Just like that weed that took over the flowers that were purposely planted, my sin can take over all the beauty I intentionally seek through my relationship with God, reading His Holy Word, and in prayer. 

Dear One, do not let a day go by without confession and true contrition. I know that this will be an ongoing focus for me. Thankfully, God's grace and mercy covers it all and is the only thing that can extract and cleanse the pervasive sin from my life. 

1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."