Roots

Ok I started working on a garden today. Actually my friend and I used a starter kit yesterday planting some green beans, tomatoes, watermelon, cantelope and marigolds. I remember the first time I planted anything my mother had given me a small piece of her garden when I was only 7 years old. She helped me plant marigolds. They really blossomed. I was so proud.

Anyway, when I was on vacation last week, helping my father work on their garden motivated me to come home and try it myself. My father said he doesn't have a green thumb. (I don't think that's totally true) My mother on the other hand seems to be able to keep things alive. They both gave me a lot of good advice.

So today my friend and I were out digging up the ground in preparation. Sure it would be easier to use a tiller, but first of all I don't have one and it's not really a large area. Besides working with the dirt and using hard physical labor just does something for the body. (I know I will not be able to move tomorrow)

Shovels in hand we began to dig, turning the dirt looking for rocks, weeds and roots. Not many rocks, but weeds and roots were pleantiful. The more we dug the more there seemed to be. At times we had to stop. Sweat pouring down our faces mixed with dirt, our throats parched from thirst. After our break it was back to work. The roots seemed to stretch from one end of this soon to be garden to the other. Sometimes there seemed to be no end to them as they would go on and on and we would have to cut them off.

While wrestling with these roots, I was reminded about something my mother has told me probably several times during my life which related to God and sin in our lives. God wants us totally and completely. Sin in our lives can be rooted so deeply we do not even know how much it has a hold on us. Unless we allow God to get to the end of the root and dig it out we will continue in the sin. If a root is not dug completely out or is cut off it will continue to grow. It may take a while to show it's ugly head again but it will come back probably bigger and stronger then it was before. We need to open ourselves up to God and allow Him to get to the root of our sin so He can help us get rid of it once and for all. Then it can no longer entangle us and hold us back from what God's will is in our lives. I myself am working on that.

So...hopefully we got most of the roots out of the garden. I would hate to see them sprout back up and strangle the vegies we are going to plant. I am looking forward to fresh grown vegetables on my plate.

I will let you know how it comes along.