I Learned The Hard Way

USGN article
by Barbi Franklin
November 1999

Two months ago, I shared about my bad hair day while gardening in the rain. Well, this is my first experience with extensive gardening. I've never had to learn about caring for landscaping since we had so little to landscape before relocating our offices and home this summer. Well, I've learned 2 more lessons about gardening: 1) Haste makes waste, and 2) Don't procrastinate.

An amazing thing happened while we were gone to Siberia for 3 weeks in July and August...the weeds completely came back and with a vengeance! I thought I'd gotten them out by the roots. How were we supposed to know you have to lay something down in the soil before covering the soil with the mulch so the weeds won't germinate and grow back again? We've never had to do this before.

Another amazing thing happened. I had been lazy about digging up the crabgrass growing through 2 of the spider plants. I guess I hoped it would just go away! But by the time we returned from Siberia, it was in full swing taking over both spider plants. I tried pulling each strand out, then digging around it deep into the soil, but still found way too many roots to get rid of it. Finally, I dug up one of the spider plants completely and began working on the root system. But the root systems of the bermuda grass and the spider plant were so intertwined, I lost hope and energy to deal with it... so I actually threw the 2 spider plants away so I could replace it later with something else.

As you may have noticed, Terry and I are always drawing spiritual applications from our every day lives, and again, God is teaching me. First of all, God gives us His Word and His Spirit as the foundation of our lives to keep us pure and powerful against sin and the devil. If we don't ground our lives in His Word daily and walk in the power of His Spirit, we can count on sin and Satan's strategies creeping right back into our lives and eventually taking over.

Secondly, if we don't guard our lives daily with His Word and Spirit, as well as purify ourselves of sin and error, soon, these things will take over our lives at the very root of our minds and hearts, and we will become totally useless. But, thank God, the Master Gardener, the one who created Eden, the one who won the victory in a garden in Gethsemane -- He alone can help us grow up "rooted and planted" in righteousness.

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©1999 Terry & Barbi Franklin.