The breath of God brushes along my naked flesh.
I can feel it in the gentle breeze.
The pleasant perfumes from His wild flowers tantalize my senses.
God covers the landscape as one laying a blanket over a loved one.
It is a quilt made of many unique fabrics.
A patch of grass, dark, lush, shadowed.
No one knows I’m here in this secluded meadow.
It is just me, God, and the crickets.
A pond of water, rippling, rhythmic radiant lay at my feet.
Wait . . .
Interruption, barking dogs frolicking in the grass,
buzzing deer fly around my head.
Who is flying that airplane in the middle of my God moment?
Okay . . . where was I?
Blue sky, floating drifting clouds pass by like a ship set sail,
moving forever changing.
Tassels, wild daisies, and purple wild flowers,
interspersed amongst the field of grass.
All intertwined into this perfect quilt.
God, you create such amazing patch work.
Even I am woven into it.
I feel like I’m being bathed in the embrace of your loving arms.
Cuddled in a safe warm place.
It makes me feel like I might have already been raptured into your Kingdom of Heaven.
God, you reach far beyond the barriers of time, gravity and this tiny planet that is hidden amongst the many stars and galaxies.
God, only you can distinguish me from each single blade of grass which you have put in its designated place. You are the creative master behind all that we see and hear, the artist who deliberately uses each stroke of your creative brush to breathe everything into existence. Who can fathom the depth of who you are to each one of us, oh God?
I have a garden plot at our community church. It is a grey clay soil. When it is dry it becomes clumpy and hard, difficult to cultivate. Nearing the end of May I gathered up my tools: A hoe, a weed puller and a rake. I was dressed for the weather wearing my rubber boots, in case the garden was muddy, a hat to protect my head from the sun. It was a humid and hot day so I wore my favourite shorts. I was all set. So I thought. After three hours of digging and pulling up weeds, I then planted my seeds and a few starter plants. By this time my body was aching, I was very hot and dehydrated. I had had enough. What was I thinking not bringing any water to drink on such a hot day?
Having spent two days planting seeds, watering the garden I was ready to see my crop begin to grow. A week went by and not much growth. However the garden plot beside mine was really flourishing. There was a mass of green covering every inch of that garden. They must be doing something right. I thought. I’ve never once seen anyone watering that garden plot. For that matter I have not seen anyone even plant a seed there. Could I be doing something wrong? I began to wonder.
Well another week went by. I watered my garden when needed and there were plenty of sunny days when the sun shined its selective rays upon the garden soil. Potato plants started to poke their little heads out of the ground. Evidence of some hopes for at the least a fall potato cake. I had to wonder about all the other vegetable seeds I had planted. Were they ever going to grow? It seemed a little odd because I began to notice that the garden plot beside mine seemed to be sharing its abundance. Oh how nice of them to share.
Another week went by and more of those green plants were growing, not only in my neighbour’s garden but they were taking over my garden too. I tried to pull one of these lush green plants out of the soil to see what it was. When I did, I noticed the root of it went very deep, but there was no fruit or vegetable attached to it. I noticed that when I just broke a piece of this plant off, it would still grow back and spread. Determined little buggers.
Another week went by and now my garden looked like the garden beside mine. I didn’t plant any of those seeds. That lush greenery was everywhere and it was choking out all the seeds I toiled to plant. In such a short time those subtle little green invaders choked the life right out of my garden. I have no fruit and no vegetables growing, just two garden plots filled with these useless green plants. One might as well place a grave stone there because nothing is growing.
Are our lives like that garden? What weeds are choking out your spiritual fruit and vegetables? They may be things which can seem to be genuine. For more information check-out following scripture references.
http://www.biblegateway.com/
Matthew 13
Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed
1 Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. 2 A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. 3 He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:
“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. 4 As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. 5 Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. 6 But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! 9 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
18 “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: 19 The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. 20 The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 21 But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. 22 The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. 23 The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
Parable of the Wheat and Weeds
24 Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. 25 But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. 26 When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.
27 “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’
28 “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed.
“‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked.
29 “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”
