Of Crabgrass and Pricker Plants

          I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. (Prov 24:30-34) 

          I guess I have a green thumb. I’ve had gardens forever it seems. Before I took them over, my parents had gardens. Sometimes we get good crops. Sometimes, we don’t. I can tell you with great confidence that I am an expert gardener when it comes to crab grass, clover, wild strawberries, and pricker plants (whatever they may be correctly named.) 
          Part of the problem is that I’ve been busy. It takes time to take care of Dad. It takes more time to take care of him when he’s in the hospital, and he spent some time there. We had company. I’m trying to revise a novel. I wasn’t going to do anything outside this summer except mow grass and here I am with four beds plus four new bushes and trees to care for. That’s a lot of weeding. 
          My two major nemeses are the crab grass and the pricker plants. I don’t remember exactly when it was, but I started counting them as I pulled them. For a while, I was collecting at least thirty of the little monsters per day. Even gardening gloves don’t protect hands completely. Those prickers are sharp. More than a week ago, I upped my game. I aimed for one hundred per day. This morning, I walked a grid, east and west from the front of the garage to the back fence. I got my hundred, but only by covering about half of the yard. I’m making progress! 
          Of course, when I go out there tomorrow, there will be those that I did not find, and those that have come up since. Still, I’m making progress for one reason. I am going out every day and looking for them.  Even now, if I decide I don’t need to hunt for them anymore, I’m sure in a short time the yard will be filled with them. 
          The same happens with sin and bad habits in our lives. The garden of our spiritual lives needs to be tended constantly.  Some sins, weaknesses , and bad habits are like crab grass. You can see it from across the yard, tall and proud, filling the garden. Others are like the wild strawberries and pricker plants. You have to hunt for them. I suspect I’ve pulled a thousand pricker plants from my yards. Today I worked the back yard like a crime scene, down to the fence, turn and take one step, turn and walk away from the fence. Take one step to the side, turn and walk back down to the fence. Sometimes, you only find them with a bare foot. That’s the way we’re supposed to treat sins in our lives, no matter how pretty they might look.