Life Lessons from the Garden

This year I did not plant a garden, no flowers, no fruits, no vegetables. With how cold and long Spring was I never got around to starting it. Plus I started a new job around the time to begin it which added stress to my life and the garden just never was made a priority this year. So in its place a  menagerie of large and noxious weeds grew instead. Each week I would look out my window and say, "I really need to go out and get rid of those weeds." But alas, I always found something else I preferred to do instead. So the weeds grew and grew and grew. As of 2 days ago some of them were as tall as I am. It was early in the morning, after I got back from work, I was examining them and saw how they had leeched the soil and brought in unwanted bugs into the yard. Their roots were woody and had barbs around them making it nearly impossible to pull them out. But then I saw a plump red strawberry growing among the weeds. One of my strawberry plants managed to grow back among the weeds, in terrible soil, among the pests, and produce a few little tasty fruits. Of course the Spirit took this rare moment to teach several small but important lessons. You are the strawberry bush. Beautiful fruit is produced during some of the hardest seasons; the smallest efforts matter; the strawberry is beautiful but image how greater your joy would be with a garden full of strawberries .... do not wait to pull the weeds from your life until it is too difficult that it chokes your potential. It's funny how little everyday things can spark such important lessons. I'm glad they do because it keeps me open to the Spirit and humble. Well, the weeds are gone and I sprayed the yard down with bug killer, I had to have a moment of silence for all the good insects that croaked in the process. I plan to replenish the soil and plant a beautiful garden next year and hopefully I'll be able to post some great pictures for everyone.