This year when I started to work in our rock garden, I decided to take out about half of it that was taken over by Gooseneck Loosestrife. Doesn’t the name just kind of tell you that it doesn‘t know how to play nice. When we moved here ten years ago, this plant was well contained and added a lot to the garden. It’s white gooseneck shaped blooms were just what was needed in this space because of a lack of other plants. Every year these bullies have spread and spread much to my displeasure. Last year my lilies were crowded out, Astibles were crying uncle and the Hosta plants were fighting a battle for their lives. In the picture you see, that one beautiful daylily was one that made it through these monsters. I googled them and found that they and their cousin the Purple Loosestrife are called the “Freddy Kruger” of plants. One article described them as thugs and mobsters though my Gooseneck Loosestrife isn‘t as bad as the purple, which most consider a weed! One of the worst things about them is that they spread through a network of roots or “rhizomes” that never give up. Even though I pulled many plants and even dug out roots I see today, a new crop coming up. What tenacity!
As I often do, I put this scenario in the light of scripture and found that “roots” are mentioned several times throughout the bible. We all know the verse from 1 Timothy 6:10, that says “ For the love of money is the “root” of all kinds of evil”! Whew! Glad I don’t have a lot of money! But wait! If I replaced money in that verse with other things like power or recognition or….. You name it, it can be anything we put before the Lord in importance. My Gooseneck Loosestrife looks very innocent standing there with it’s beautiful foliage and cute little flowers but those roots which started out to cover a tiny bit of my garden now has choked out many other flowers that used to add to the beautiful hues of my rock garden. I don’t have to look too far to see where roots run deep and choke the life out of a happy heart. Sometimes dreadful things take us over like addictions, power hunger or sin but sometimes it can be normally good things that become more important to us than God.
I had to look to my root system to see if there is anything taking root in my heart. God reminded me that lately I have found myself being discontent. I look at my perfectly good furniture and want new, I love retirement but have found myself discontent with not having enough money to do all the things I would like to do. Because my mind is on things I do not have I have found myself not appreciating what I do have. As I examined my heart, I was drawn to scripture I read a few days ago.
Colossians 2:6-7 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and over flowing with thankfulness.
Thank God that he knows our tendency is to root ourselves in the things of this world and choke out His will for our lives. I want my roots to grow deep and wide like my Gooseneck Loosestrife but I want those roots to be in Christ. I want to be strengthened in the faith as the bible teaches and to overflow with thankfulness for all He has given me! Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment