Dandelions and Clover

Our home is in a new subdivision that used to be a farmers field. When we moved in there was a home on the corner as you turned onto our street, two homes at the very far end, and our home about half way between. More homes have been built since then, but the lots on either side of ours remain empty. The empty lots are wild with weeds and tall grass; kept from taking over the neighborhood by the occasional John Deere tractor/mower dispatched by someone in charge of such things.

The builder planted grass seed in our yard as well as a few skinny, twig like trees. In the 3 years we have lived here the clover has crept in from both empty lots, overwhelming the grass that pretends to be our yard. The white heads of the clover and the sunny yellow faces of the dandelions bob and sway in the breeze. The grass is yielding ground daily to the encroaching clover.

I recall as a child I would pick the dandelions and present them to my mom...a free bouquet found in our very own yard. I remember my own children presenting me with similar bouquets grasped tightly in their chubby, grimy little fists. I had a small glass vase I put them in on my kitchen window sill.

I remember sitting in the grass with my sister when we were children, picking the flowers from the clover, stringing them together to form a chain and wearing them as crowns and necklaces.

Funny how my perspective has changed over the years...the blooms that grew in the yard when I was a child were flowers to collect and give as offerings to mom or wear as jewelry. As an adult, the blooms just remind me of the weeds that are winning the war against the grass.

My man tells me he doesn't mind the clover...it doesn't grow tall and stays green.

I started thinking about the dandelions and clover and the fact the weeds require no effort on my part to grow, while gardens and flowers can be very labor intensive. Kind of like sin in my life. Sin is easy...it's my first inclination. When someone makes me angry or hurts my feelings my first thoughts usually are not "Bless you". Selfishness and pride are upon me without much effort. Sin is easy. Living a holy life takes work, persistence, effort, prayer, repentence. God wants to weed out bitterness, hard heartedness, gossip, unforgiveness and cutting remarks. When I look at my life through the filter of God's Word I allow God's truths to dig deep into my heart and unearth the roots of the sin that tries to hide there. God is the Master Gardener. He is planting seeds of compassion, gentleness, humilty, kindness, and forgiveness; watering them with His Spirit; pruning and weeding with His Word.

Until the weeds in the empty lots are under control we are fighting a losing battle. I've decided not to fight the battle for now and enjoy their simple flowers...reminders of days gone by. I will continue to seek out the Master Gardener when it comes to the weeds trying to get a foothold in my heart. I want my heart to be a beautiful garden.