The little garden that could

Earlier this year we (and by "we" I mean "Lige"!) planted our garden. We moved it to a different location and added lots of new things. In years past, we've only done tomatoes, green peppers and cucumbers. This year we have all of those as well as onions, lettuce, zuccini, watermelon, cantelope, banana peppers, jalepenos, and eggplant. Some aren't doing too well, but others are doing great! We picked our biggest cucumber ever on Tuesday! The lettuce has been so fun. We just go pick a few leaves for dinner each night! We're feeling very GREEN having a garden!

I'm sure I mentioned to some of you that this was not my garden and that I was going to have no part of it. Well, as you can imagine, that's not what happened! I've actually enjoyed weeding it every few days. Mosquitos are my only garden frustration. They love my sweet blood, and even if I think I've sprayed everywhere, they find the one spot behind my ear or in between my fingers!

The kids "help" with the garden, too. They've pulled a few yucky, green weeds alongside me. We've even had a few botany lessons! They're learning which plants are weeds and which are not, and why we pull weeds in the first place.

What surprises me every time, is how quickly the weeds grow. If I miss a small one, the next time I'm out there, it's huge! If you miss a few days, the weeds are everywhere! I've been reminded often of the Parable of the Sower, who sows seeds along the path, among stones, among the weeds and thorns, and among the fertile soil. Those seeds are actually the Word of God, and the places are an example of the kinds of hearts that hear it. Just as the weeds in my garden choke out the life of my plants, so can the weeds and thorns of the cares of this world, riches, and lusts choke out the life in our hearts. I wish I could be just as diligent weeding my heart as my garden!