I love summer rainstorms- the sudden cool in the midst of sweltering days and the smell of fresh, wet earth. I also have discovered that right after a summer rain is the perfect time to pull the weeds that seem to turn up overnight at these times. With the ground soft and the morning cool, I head out to pluck the weeds around my flowers. One morning as I did this, I was probably grumbling, “Why do we have to have weeds anyway?” (My silent prayers often go on like this throughout the day.) On this particular day, the words came into my mind that the Lord told Adam in the Garden of Eden, “Cursed is the ground for thy sake…thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee…In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread” (Genesis 3:17-19 KJV). I had never really thought about those words, that these things were for Adam’s sake. Somehow weeds, thorns, thistles – having to get up and work hard to accomplish something – would be for our sake, for our good, for our progression and improvement.
We live in a day when leisure, entertainment, weekends,
vacations, and retiring early are valued and celebrated. Work – in and of itself- is seen as drudgery
and punishment. And getting something
for nothing, working the system, and living off the government are becoming
more and more common. Now, I am the
first to admit that my ultimate goal in life is to have a gardener to make my
yard beautiful without having to contribute my own time, sweat, and
backaches. However, on this summer
morning, I realized why that may not be a blessing. The satisfaction of working for a goal,
seeing it through even when it’s not easy, having a purpose, and serving our
families and communities – and the character and personal progression gained in
the process - these are the true blessings.
Maybe weeds truly are for my sake.
But why do we have to have mosquitoes?
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