Go Beyond

Weeds. I hate weeds! Weeds are like the roaches of gardening. Just about the time you think you’ve got them under control they come back with a vengeance. I spent the morning pulling weeds at the Katy Christian Ministries garden with some of the folks from Kingsland’s Christian Fellowship ABF. After the cold and soggy weather we have endured in recent weeks, it was nice to be outdoors on this beautiful Saturday morning — even if it meant pulling weeds.

Pulling weeds is hard work. I spent a lot of time on my knees carefully pinching weeds by the throat and tugging on them to make sure I pulled them up with their roots in tow. Trying to pull weeds up, roots and all, is not easy. That’s because weeds tend to be stubborn and uncooperative. Some of the weeds I wrestled with today had roots that ran all the way into the next county. I may have won the battle but I know that the pesky weeds I pulled will secretly wage their underground war to regain the ground they lost today.

After our weed-pulling, we turned the soil and then planted some really pretty flowers. Planting the colorful flowers made the time we spent pulling weeds and preparing the soil worthwhile. Looking at the several trash bags filled with troublesome weeds and the freshly planted flowers in the garden reminded me of the parables of the kingdom in Matthew 13 where Jesus talked about weeds. “The weeds are the sons of the evil one and the enemy who sows them,” Jesus said. At the end of the age He will send His angels to do some weeding. Bottom line: the weeds will ultimately lose.

Late this afternoon, Cheryl and I decided to take a road trip down our favorite Farm to Market roads to see the wildflowers. We love this time of the year when the highways in the Lone Star State are dribbled with beautiful patches of Texas Bluebonnets accented with red splashes of Indian Paintbrushes. We had such a great time following the flower trail that before we realized it we had driven 175-miles. But, it was all worth it just to see these gorgeous flowers growing amidst the weeds. The weeds, in fact, only served to accentuate the beauty of the flowers.

I love Spring in Texas — that wonderful time of the year when the state begins to yawn and stretch and to wake up after its Winter slumber. As we made our way back home we lost count of the number of folks we saw taking pictures of and among the bluebonnets along the roadways. We even saw the Texas Country Reporter guys talking pictures of the people taking pictures among the bluebonnets. None of the folks we saw today were compelled to leave home on this beautiful Saturday to take pictures of weeds. That’s because weeds are uninspiring.

One of my favorite moments was when we saw three scarecrows in a large garden next to a house on a backroad. When I stopped to snap a pic of the scarecrows, the middle scarecrow moved. That middle scarecrow was actually an old farmer out tending his garden. We all had a good laugh and a great conversation about gardening. He too has to battle weeds and also some pesky birds. Before we left, the old farmer invited us to come again. “We always harvest more than we can eat,” he said. “And we’d be happy to share some of our bounty with you.” As we waved goodbye, I smiled. It’s great to live in Texas, weeds and all.