I keep thinking I’ve gotten all the lessons from my gardening season and yet, they seem to still be coming.
After my squabbles with the squirrel over the last few weeks, between the two of us, all the corn has been harvested. Unfortunately none of them had gotten to their full potential because they were harvested too soon. Although I’m sure the squirrel still enjoyed quite a few, while I gave up on eating half formed corn.
As the stalks no longer seemed to serve any purpose, I determined it was time to pull them out by the roots. The plants had grown to well over 6 feet tall, and yet, as I pulled them up, they came out relatively easily. They had done their job, their root systems had done their job, but their root systems just don’t grow that strong or seemingly that deep.
I don’t recall if I’ve shared this before, but I have a plant my mom calls ‘Rose of Sharon’. I have no idea how it came to be in my yard, but I do know that now I have multiples of them. It’s also a wildly reproductive plant and if I’m not careful can take over my whole lawn. I’ve had to pull probably hundreds of the new plants out of my lawn.
One of the major things I’ve now learned about this plant is the rooting system. By the time I notice them, the roots are getting thick and going deep. I have a couple that are close to different structures. I’ve also learned that if I allow this plant to get to even one foot out of the ground, it will be near impossible to pull it out by hand. The roots and lower part of the plant tend to be thick and deep – the longer I wait to pull them out, the harder it becomes.
While the Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus family) produces pretty flowers in the right season, it’s also very invasive, and I don’t want them all over my lawn. I know because of their root system, they can also do potential damage to my home. I’m now learning that I can’t let it get any type of hold before I pull it out.
As I’ve been pulling them out, I joke and asked why couldn’t it be a mango tree doing this. Multiplying and easily planted.
But, here is the question I want us to consider: how rooted are we to our beliefs? Are we like the corn that can be pulled up without much effort? Or, are we like the Rose of Sharon that once it takes hold, it will take every effort to uproot.
And by the way, another thought is for us to make sure that we are holding on to the ‘right’ beliefs and allowing those to take root and not negative thoughts.
Philippians 4:8 states ‘Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.
I pray these are the types of things that we allow to grow deep roots, that are nearly impossible to pull up.
Dear Heavenly Father, I’m so grateful for your love and the way you show us lessons in our ordinary lives. Help us to grow the types of roots that are firmly rooted in you and your love for us. Help us to easily uproot anything that is not of you.