Believe it or not, I just weeded this thing!
Already, the garden resembles a patch of jungle, where the rows of delicious foods are hard to identify because of overgrowth and mess. Luckily, I do enjoy weeding! It isn't my favorite part of gardening, but I do find that I can complete the task joyfully. When I get down on my hands and knees and start pulling at stubborn roots, I nearly always fixate my thoughts on where I need to weed in my life. Are there any spots that seem to be untended? Is my heart cleaned up well enough that I can easily tell what is growing there, or what might be suffering from neglect? What about my thoughts? Do they flow easily and freely, coming from good and healthy places- or are they tripping over vines and spoiled fruit on the way to my lips ?I have found that it has been so important, over my entire life, so make sure that I spend time every day, every night (or however it works out) checking myself over spiritually and mentally. In the seasons of my life where I have let my head and heart turn in to a jungle, it has been some of the more difficult times in my life. And it's so easy to let yourself become overgrown... not just because you are busy but because the roots of what you must pull in yourself grow in to emotions, memories and spiritual places. It becomes less like a clean up at that point, and much more like surgery... and we often feel as if we need to do it alone.
One of the ways that I have learned to lesson this burden that we all face is to let those who love me, whom I trust and adore in return, help me clean myself up. It's a little unnerving to look at someone and say, "What can I do to be more?" but if it's the right person, you'll find it's hardly a negative conversation. In my experience, they almost always manage to hit the nail on the head and use just the right diction to get the point to you quickly and lovingly. Ask the people in your life, "How can I love you better?", "Do I treat you well?" Learning how to connect even more deeply with those you love is one of the easiest ways to experience more joy in yourself and fulfillment in your life- and you'll likely find yourself falling right in to step. God does wonderful things through humility! Be sure to always do this out of that spirit.
Weeding for the feeding: Just like in a garden it is in ourselves; if one does not tend to the seeds that were sown, one may not receive a harvest, or know when the time is ripe to pick the fruit. If we do not care for ourselves sometimes even more meticulously than we care for our own children, what can we offer? Only half a crop, or maybe even less. Being half of something is simply not the purpose of being human.
And with that- I'm gearing up to weed! :) Where are some places in your heart and head that could use a little care? Don't shy away from them- they are not bigger than you, they aren't as scary as they look. Love them, they are a part of you! Share those parts of yourself with someone you love and ask them to journey with you in a whole new way.
Already, the garden resembles a patch of jungle, where the rows of delicious foods are hard to identify because of overgrowth and mess. Luckily, I do enjoy weeding! It isn't my favorite part of gardening, but I do find that I can complete the task joyfully. When I get down on my hands and knees and start pulling at stubborn roots, I nearly always fixate my thoughts on where I need to weed in my life. Are there any spots that seem to be untended? Is my heart cleaned up well enough that I can easily tell what is growing there, or what might be suffering from neglect? What about my thoughts? Do they flow easily and freely, coming from good and healthy places- or are they tripping over vines and spoiled fruit on the way to my lips ?I have found that it has been so important, over my entire life, so make sure that I spend time every day, every night (or however it works out) checking myself over spiritually and mentally. In the seasons of my life where I have let my head and heart turn in to a jungle, it has been some of the more difficult times in my life. And it's so easy to let yourself become overgrown... not just because you are busy but because the roots of what you must pull in yourself grow in to emotions, memories and spiritual places. It becomes less like a clean up at that point, and much more like surgery... and we often feel as if we need to do it alone.
One of the ways that I have learned to lesson this burden that we all face is to let those who love me, whom I trust and adore in return, help me clean myself up. It's a little unnerving to look at someone and say, "What can I do to be more?" but if it's the right person, you'll find it's hardly a negative conversation. In my experience, they almost always manage to hit the nail on the head and use just the right diction to get the point to you quickly and lovingly. Ask the people in your life, "How can I love you better?", "Do I treat you well?" Learning how to connect even more deeply with those you love is one of the easiest ways to experience more joy in yourself and fulfillment in your life- and you'll likely find yourself falling right in to step. God does wonderful things through humility! Be sure to always do this out of that spirit.
Weeding for the feeding: Just like in a garden it is in ourselves; if one does not tend to the seeds that were sown, one may not receive a harvest, or know when the time is ripe to pick the fruit. If we do not care for ourselves sometimes even more meticulously than we care for our own children, what can we offer? Only half a crop, or maybe even less. Being half of something is simply not the purpose of being human.
And with that- I'm gearing up to weed! :) Where are some places in your heart and head that could use a little care? Don't shy away from them- they are not bigger than you, they aren't as scary as they look. Love them, they are a part of you! Share those parts of yourself with someone you love and ask them to journey with you in a whole new way.
That is a very cool analogy, weeding your heart like you weed a garden. I do the same sort of thing when I weed (the garden), I let my mind wander and it ends up being a very relaxing experience. I actually fought Stephen on putting the black carpet stuff on our garden, but now I am very thankful that he did so weeding isn't such an issue.
ReplyDeleteIt is important to weed your heart and soul too. It is so easy to let one negative though take root and it changes your entire outlook. I have found as well that by letting all the negative things go you are immensely more happy about everything! You are what you think and speak. Speak positively and you will with live a blessed life!