Living in New Mexico one becomes accustomed to
dirt. My yard is pretty much a huge dirt yard, there are various desert plants
and some fruit trees, some decorative grass…….and for those of us who live here
it does not look all that bad.
Another
thing we become accustomed to here in New Mexico is weeds…and most especially
Goat Head weeds. They are hardy, they grow everywhere and their seeds have
thorns that will stick to anything and everything…your tires, your shoes, your
animals feet, your feet…they are the enemy here in New
Mexico.
Recent drought conditions here gave us a spring
without weeds, and part of a summer without weeds. We water our garden plants
and we sit back on our patio and enjoy the landscape. No weeds! And yet laying
just under the surface of the soil are hundreds upon hundreds of goat head
seeds. Our dogs are often seen standing out in the yard, paw raised in air,
hurtful expression on face that yells out “help me mom!” and we are called to go
and remove a goat head.
Recent rains have caused an explosion of these
pesky weeds in our yard. Battle is required daily to wipe them out, wipe them
out while they are small and tiny and manageable else they will become a plant,
they will produce seeds, and those seeds will lay dormant in the dirt, causing
pain and suffering to those creatures unfortunate enough to step on them, and
producing thousands more if allowed to take root and grow. They are deceptive
weeds, for when they bloom they have a beautiful delicate yellow
flower.
My backyard
is rather like my heart. I can water my
heart with God’s word, I can exercise my heart by sowing seeds of peace and love
with others, but I should never sit back
and behold my heart and look upon it as a finished work….for each day tiny seeds
are tossed in, tiny seeds sometimes not even noticed, not even noticed until
they raise their foul heads and behold upon them dark stickers that cause
pain…..or even worse…they take root, they grow, and they become a foul thing
that chokes my heart, causes pain and sorrow and propagates the
same.
Guard your heart for from it flow the well springs
of life……
And from an unguarded heart can flow evil thoughts,
murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness,
slanders.....
Originally published on Blogger, August 2, 2013