Thursday, May 24, 2012

Flowerbeds and Weeds...

Veronica Herzing, a She Speaks Sister, is our guest blogger. Veronica has been married for 20 years to what she describes, "the most wonderful patient man alive." They have two children;  a son 23 years old, he is autistic and has Cystic Fibrosis. They also have daughter who is a Junior in college (the first in their family to attend college).

Veronica is the first in 4 generations to break the cycle of destructive behaviors in her family. As a "cradle" Catholic, which means she was baptized at 3 weeks old into the Catholic church.  She is a Lector, Director of Worship and an Adorer for Adoration Hour.  She has participated in 4 online Bible studies through Melissa Taylor and Proverbs 31; and is on the leadership team for Melissa Taylor's Online Bible study, as well as a group leader.  Veronica states, "I have learned to rely on Jesus for my every need, He truly is my EVERYTHING!!!!" You may visit Veronica's website, Simply Me~My Walk.


This morning I woke up on the wrong side of the bed and let’s just say I did not come out looking good in the whole thing. However after some time I made an amends…

Photo Credit: Bing Images
I decided to help my husband weed all our flowerbeds. As I was weeding I began praying for all my friends and family, everyone who is struggling, needing surgery, recovering from surgery, is in distress or just needing Jesus. As I was praying I came to the conclusion that my flowerbeds that are completely overgrown with weeds, dead flowers and haven’t been watered are very much like our lives. When weeding flowerbeds we do so because the weeds are taking over the beauty of the flowers we lovingly planted.

Now, if they are overgrown like mine were – it’s been over a month since I cared for them – then after weeding them they look very sparse where before they looked full, even though it was deceiving because they were full of weeds.

As I was weeding, I realized since the flowers haven’t been cared for in such a long time some of the good flowers and foliage had to be removed as well so the plant could sustain itself. How fitting – God is our Weeder, if we allow Him to be. He weeds us and in doing so ad He pulls the weeds (sin, negativity, bad habits, etc) He pulls up some of the good flowers (things that don’t harm us but don’t do us any good either, or take our focus off Him). It hurts when He does this, we seem sparse and very vulnerable as we go through the weeding but in doing so that’s when others will be able to see His work in our lives!! When our flowers bloom and the beauty is eye catching.
Photo Credit: Dew Photography
However, what if God weeds us and then we are never watered – the weeds grow back spreading even further, the flowers wilt and then no one can tell where the flowers start or the weeds end – it’s just chaos!


The flowers need watered and weeded constantly just as we do – God is our Weeder and His Word our Water ~ we grow, we blossom, we show the world His beauty and mighty hand when we allow Him to be our Weeder and our Water.  The thought “bloom where you are planted” comes to mind as I write this and I think it’s very fitting but just as fitting is the thought, don’t allow your flowerbeds to go without water or weeding for very long – it’s hard work to sort it all out afterwards, its much easier to water and weed daily.  So “tend to your flowerbeds daily” and then in doing so others will ask “how are your flowers so beautiful in this season of heat and drought” and you can give glory to the LORD by telling them about your Waterer!
~Weeds grow and spread with no water, taking over every area in the flowerbed, while the flowers wilt and die.  It is the same with your faith and relationship with the LORD.  
Have you watered yourself today? ~
Below are two pictures after we pulled up all the weeds and dead flowers, they don’t look that great now but wait in just a short while with some water and daily tending, they will be gorgeous in no time.


Photo Credit: Veronica Herzing


 
                                    

31 comments:

  1. Wow awesome post I think of that a lot espically when I am not being thankful or grateful for things and I start crumbling and complaing that does not take on a very good look so this reminds me how I need God to be the water in my life and how I need to keep all the bad weeds out because if I do not take care of my garden everything that God has worked for in my life will become weeds and I want Jesus.
    Carol
    Learned about your blog from Veronica on FB

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  2. Hi Veronica, :)
    I love gardening analogies! He is our gardener... He's a perfect refiner! I love believing that He is pulling out weeds in my life right now... that I don't even know He's tending to, YET! But He is. He is so all knowing! :) God is so good! ~ Blessings girl, Amy

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  3. We just had a womens retreat for our church and He is our Gardener was our theme. how amazing how things seem to "pop up" in multiples when God's involved!

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  4. Great advice to "tend to your flowerbeds daily". It is something I know I don't do daily and it shows.

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  5. Thank you ladies for your time and support by leaving a comment. I thank Dawn for this wonderful opportunity as a guest here.

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  6. I have always wanted to have beautiful gardens, just not a green thumb. I so love looking and reading about them, thank you so much ...Lisa T

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  7. What a beautiful post. Thank you so much. We own a landscape company, so this really touched me. I am looking forward to the "I used to be So Organized" study.

    Michelle

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  8. Thanks to all of you gals who put these studies together for us. I know there is a lot involved and want you to know that your efforts are truly appreciated.
    Looking forward to the new one, "I Used to be So Organized!" I used to be so organized, too! It's funny what happens to our perfect surroundings when life happens!
    Thanks so much for sharing your garden with us!
    Arlene
    @strategicrenewal.com

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  9. Thanks to each of you who came by to see Veronica's guest post...She is a delightful Sister in Christ.

    Have a blessed day!

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  10. Thank you for your time & service to your ministry! Beautiful post!!!

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  11. Thank you - so beautifully written!

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  12. Wow what an amazing illustration of what God has been doing in my life. Thank you for the reminder that just because something has to go, God has better things in store.

    Angel Parnell

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  13. Thank you so much for what you and Melissa and Veronica do! Looking forward to getting organized and watching my garden grow!

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  14. Another amazing analogy! Thank you for writing it - it definitely gave me something to think about. How are you healing? All "better"? I hope so!

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    1. My healing is going well. It will be about 3 more weeks before I will be released from Doc's care. Thank you for the encouraging words.

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  15. What an awesome post! When I forget to deadhead and water our roses, they die. But when I take care of them, they blossom beautifully. Sounds kind of like our spiritual life, doesn't it?

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  16. Thank you ladies for being a part of these on-line bible studies and for providing the great giveaway.

    Deb Volkman

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  17. All the love from people visiting Veronica's post has been so amazing today. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

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  18. I have tried to declutter with Marla Ciley - Flylady _ but have gotten off track since the death of my daughter Oct last year. I love Veronica Herzing's blog post.

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    1. Sorry for your loss. Our prayer is that you will feel the presence of God more and more each passing day.

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  19. Thank you for your post!

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  20. Hi Veronica!

    Our youngest will be the first of our children to attend college.
    He is looking forward to it :)

    I love your post.
    Allowing those weeds to be pulled is not something I look forward to. But, the beauty that comes afterward outweighs the pain.

    Michelle
    moma3homeschool(at)gmail(dot)com

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  21. This is a lovely post. Thanks for all you guys do! I'm looking forward to this Bible study!

    J Alexander @ jalexander008@carolina.rr.com

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  22. I love beautiful gardens....Thank you for a beautiful post...Looking forward to the Bible study....Lisa T

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  23. Looking forward to the next study.

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  24. Looking forward to trying the online bible study!

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  25. Wonderful story about how God weeds away the destructive stuff when we turn to Him and allow Him to be the Weeder! Looking forward to the study but I need a book before it starts! Maybe I will win one?!

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  26. I'm also looking forward to the online study, as it deals with an area in my life that needs to be transformed. Thank you, Veronica, and Dawn for your leadership and involvement on the Proverbs31 team!

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    1. Thank you Genia for the sweet comments. Veronica is in leadership and involvement with Proverbs 31. I am blessed to know her.

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  27. I am so thankful to Dawn for asking me to post here on her blog. I am so very blessed to be friends with her and so can't wait until July to give her a big hug in person!!!

    Thank you to each person who took time out of their day to read my post and to leave a comment, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Look for Dawn to guest post on my blog in the near future. She will be my first ever guest!!!

    God is at work!!!

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  28. Thank you so much for your dedication to women and to the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am so blessed to be apart of this study.

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Thanks for leaving your comment and showing love to this blog.

In Christ,
Dawn
dawn.whitmore@comcast.net