knowing what to pull...

A few years back my wife and I planted a number of new bulbs in our garden. We planted a pretty good variety of heights and bloom times so we could watch our garden wake up from it's winter slumber.  They worked their magic the first year....and then they were gone! Squirrels? Rot? Grubs? Nope, nope, nope...me!

We had planted them randomly and I didn't know how to identify the young shoots in the spring so I pulled them out thinking they were weeds. Agggh!


How to avoid desolation in the garden: 
Rule #1
Know what to pull. Every plant when it begins pretty much looks the same. Color patterns, flowers and  fruit express themselves with maturity. Young leaves have yet to take on their adult characteristics.  Once you learn (from a book or elsewhere) you can  remember these identifying features and store them in memory.

Rule #2
Do not weed too early. When the snow melts and the sun warms plants and weeds start the competition of which lays claim to the garden. They do not wait in line and they do not take turns. It is best to let them grow side-by-side for a little while until you can identify the good from the bad.

Rule #3
When in doubt, ask for help. I have taught this lesson to my 4 year old daughter and the neighbor kid quickly! Her little sister and his little brother have yet to learn...oh well. "Hey, is this a weed or a flower" is a question best asked while the plant is still in the ground.... when I was landscaping you could always tell the new guy..."hey, is this a...." was heard over and over again.

Knowing what is "good" and what is "bad" is critical in gardens and in our spiritual life. Adam and Eve, the first gardeners wanted this knowledge but not for the right reasons. They wanted God's knowledge so they could do without him...didn't work. So they were left with knowing what was good and bad but not being able to choose the good (Romans 3:23)

So are helpless in the garden now? No. We can pull spiritual weeds with the aide of the Holy Spirit (Romans 12:1-2). Here are three key rules

Rule #1
Know what to pull. When our minds are transformed by the Holy Spirit, we will be able to discern the good that is pleasing to God. He guides us in all truth (John 16:3). Identifying features are learned in Scripture, reading of Saints and pillars of the faith and in prayer.

Rule #2
Do not weed too early! At times God will send us a "weed" to help conform us into a plant that will bear fruit (2 Corinthians 2:17). Farmers will plant winter Rye to stabilize the soil and prepare the ground for the spring. Take to time to look and ask if you have been given a momentary trial to help you see your true heart condition in relation to God. Let God work in and on you. He knows what He is doing. He is the Master Gardener. (Philippians 1:6)

Rule #3
When in doubt ask! We must be careful who we ask in helping us identify the weeds in our life! More than once I have watched  the neighbor kid hold a mangled thing up to my daughter and ask "hey, is this a weed"... only to hear her reply "I don't know!" We like to be scratched where we itch. Trust master gardeners of the faith, ones whom have been called up and identified as leaders. They will be known by their gardens...do they exhibit the fruits of the Spirit; love, joy, peace, forbearance, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control? (Galatians 5:22-23).


Knowing what to pull takes time and commitment. It becomes easier with time as you expand your knowledge of what is good and what is not. The harvest we will reap is far better than a bumper crop of tomatoes....
Happy Weeding
b