Flowerbeds and Weeds...

Veronica Herzing, a She Speaks Sister, is our guest blogger. Veronica has been married for 20 years to what she describes, "the most wonderful patient man alive." They have two children;  a son 23 years old, he is autistic and has Cystic Fibrosis. They also have daughter who is a Junior in college (the first in their family to attend college).

Veronica is the first in 4 generations to break the cycle of destructive behaviors in her family. As a "cradle" Catholic, which means she was baptized at 3 weeks old into the Catholic church.  She is a Lector, Director of Worship and an Adorer for Adoration Hour.  She has participated in 4 online Bible studies through Melissa Taylor and Proverbs 31; and is on the leadership team for Melissa Taylor's Online Bible study, as well as a group leader.  Veronica states, "I have learned to rely on Jesus for my every need, He truly is my EVERYTHING!!!!" You may visit Veronica's website, Simply Me~My Walk.

This morning I woke up on the wrong side of the bed and let’s just say I did not come out looking good in the whole thing. However after some time I made an amends…

Photo Credit: Bing Images

I decided to help my husband weed all our flowerbeds. As I was weeding I began praying for all my friends and family, everyone who is struggling, needing surgery, recovering from surgery, is in distress or just needing Jesus. As I was praying I came to the conclusion that my flowerbeds that are completely overgrown with weeds, dead flowers and haven’t been watered are very much like our lives. When weeding flowerbeds we do so because the weeds are taking over the beauty of the flowers we lovingly planted.

Now, if they are overgrown like mine were – it’s been over a month since I cared for them – then after weeding them they look very sparse where before they looked full, even though it was deceiving because they were full of weeds.

As I was weeding, I realized since the flowers haven’t been cared for in such a long time some of the good flowers and foliage had to be removed as well so the plant could sustain itself. How fitting – God is our Weeder, if we allow Him to be. He weeds us and in doing so ad He pulls the weeds (sin, negativity, bad habits, etc) He pulls up some of the good flowers (things that don’t harm us but don’t do us any good either, or take our focus off Him). It hurts when He does this, we seem sparse and very vulnerable as we go through the weeding but in doing so that’s when others will be able to see His work in our lives!! When our flowers bloom and the beauty is eye catching.

Photo Credit: Dew Photography

However, what if God weeds us and then we are never watered – the weeds grow back spreading even further, the flowers wilt and then no one can tell where the flowers start or the weeds end – it’s just chaos!

The flowers need watered and weeded constantly just as we do – God is our Weeder and His Word our Water ~ we grow, we blossom, we show the world His beauty and mighty hand when we allow Him to be our Weeder and our Water.  The thought “bloom where you are planted” comes to mind as I write this and I think it’s very fitting but just as fitting is the thought, don’t allow your flowerbeds to go without water or weeding for very long – it’s hard work to sort it all out afterwards, its much easier to water and weed daily.  So “tend to your flowerbeds daily” and then in doing so others will ask “how are your flowers so beautiful in this season of heat and drought” and you can give glory to the LORD by telling them about your Waterer!

~Weeds grow and spread with no water, taking over every area in the flowerbed, while the flowers wilt and die.  It is the same with your faith and relationship with the LORD.  

Have you watered yourself today? ~

Below are two pictures after we pulled up all the weeds and dead flowers, they don’t look that great now but wait in just a short while with some water and daily tending, they will be gorgeous in no time.

Photo Credit: Veronica Herzing


 

                                    

Cheering for God....

Do we spend as much time cheering for God as we do our favorite sports team? This is the question that entered my thoughts while watching Game 7 in the NHL Stanley Cup East Series Play-off. The game was the New York Rangers against the Washington Capitals. My darling daughter and I were cheering the Caps throughout the game until the last second of the game. In our household we cheer for hockey, lacrosse and our daughter cheers for NASCAR because of Trevor Bayne. Yet, my hope and prayer is we will always cheer loudest for JESUS!!! 

Then another thought entered my mind as the final seconds of the game sealed the Caps loss. Are you a fair-weather fan when it comes to your walk with Jesus? Do you walk with Him until things get tough or He has the audacity to expect you to leave your comfort zone?

Tomorrow, we will still root for the Caps. In our household we follow the Caps. We are not fair-weather fans in our household...yes, it is true while living in NC we rooted for the Canes but we still loved our Caps. 

Some of you are saying, "That's nice, but what does this have to do with Jesus?" Everything, because  a large majority of Christians are "fans" of Jesus and not "followers." Kyle Idleman discusses this in a true grit, real deal way in his book, "Not A Fan." When the crowds were being feed free meals and it wasn't requiring much of them Jesus was the 'deal'. However, when things got tough and the free meals were not flowing people walked away.

 Idleman in Chapter 5 discusses what he describes two camps of  the Fan Club.
 Take a minute and see if you identify with either of Idleman's camps:

"Camp 1: Your faith is something you were born into. You didn't choose it. Your faith has always been more about honoring your heritage than surrendering your heart. The problem here is you grew up acting & talking like a Christian but you never fell in love with Jesus.


Camp 2: These are fans who measure their faith by their hard work at learning and following the law. Their intellectual knowledge and behavioral compliance was their target. Yet, even though they were saying the right things, it wasn't a reflection of who they really are. You may say and do the right things, but that is not enough for Jesus. He wants all of you." (Not a Fan pages 70 & 71).


Jesus doesn't want fans. He wants committed sold-out followers. Which are you?

Check out Kyle Idleman's "Not A Fan" or the Not A Fan website to learn what it means to be a committed sold-out follower of Jesus Christ.