No end to all the Weed's

This is the dreaded dandelion weed. Actually, some people don't count this in as a weed because of the pretty yellow flowers and the green leaves that are eatable. They can sure cause some problems in a yard though. This area of our lawn is in the hot (very hot) sun and is not as thick as it should be. This hot summer took a tole on our front South yard and now with the recent rains the weeds are really taking over that area.

I have been picking a lot of weeds lately, seems like hours and still it seems like there are so many. We have had a lot of rain lately and the weeds have really shown up. They are also easier to pull out of the ground when the soil is wet. I'm sure many of you will recognize many of the weeds I am about to show you and talk about and relate to my weed problem. The weed above, is the most prevalent in our lawn right now. It starts so Innocent and small, but in just a few days it will be as big round as a dinner plate killing and chocking out the lawn under it.

We don't have many of these painful, prickly thistles this year. But even 2 or 3 are too many, right? In the Word of God, in Genesis 3 verse 17 and 18, as a result from sin, God tells us, "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you and you will eat the plants of the field". He was not just talking to Adam and Eve after the very first sin but to all of us as well since we are all born sinners. Just as the weeds are everywhere and effect us all so is sin in all our lives. It is a good thing God loved us so much he sent a solution to our many sins, His only Son was the answer, John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Last year there were many of these weeds, lucky the roots are shallow and easy to pull out. This year there were very few, I found this sneaky pesty weed very close to the edge of our raised garden. Sometimes, just like sin, they think they can sneak into our lives without us even noticing.

This weed is one of those grass looking weeds that sticks and clings to your cloths or hair and it's hard to get rid of it, it hitches a ride to be secretly distributed to other placed. It is also like sin, I especially think of gossip with this weed, how it sticks with you and is spread secretly from person to person cosing many more problems and causing it to grow, grow, grow.

About 2 weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a Garden show with question/answer time. This weed above, I think they called it a pig weed, is capable of producing many thousands of seeds and the horticulture specialist told us only a small percent of these seeds grow the following year. Many of the seeds will lay dormant for up to 7 years. So that explains a lot, why there are always so many weeds. You think you have them under control and they just keep coming back year after year. Kind of like our sin right?

This is creeping Jenny, It is very hard to kill or get rid of! I talked to one of our chemical companies and they said they have to be sprayed 3 times a year for 3 to 5 years to control their growth. This weed has the ability to twine around good plants and choke them and kill them.

Again, like sin twines around us choking us off from Gods Word, His Love and Forgiveness. If we are continually around sin, letting it grab us and twine around us, we could be choked off. It is only with His help, that we can keep the weed's in our life under control, but never gone. that's why we are thankful for Gods constant forgiveness through Christ Jesus.

As I was picking weeds, I noticed where our lawn was the thickest and healthiest, there very few weeds, that is more the answer then picking the weeds, keeping the lawn in good condition with water and fertilizer. The thicker the grass, the harder it is for the weeds to get hold.

You got it, just like sin, If we are healthy in our Christian lives, Bible reading and studies, prayer, attending Church and having a close christian relationship with other Christians we have a better chance at fighting off the sin (weed's) in our life. The more we neglect these very important things the thinner and weaker our lawn becomes and those weeds just start taking over. Once they have a hold, it is very hard to get rid of them.

Now that we have had some moisture, we have noticed lots of little mushrooms growing. These also could be considered weeds if they are in your lawn.

I'm sure many of you recognize this weed! The hard thing about this weed is the root is so deep and hard to get out of the ground. unless you can catch it when it is just a new baby weed it is almost impossible to get rid of it completely. OK, by now you know I am also going to compare this to sin. If we let it grow and grow the root also will take hold deep in our heart and sometimes we don't even want to get rid of it!

Hear is another sneaky weed, growing as close to the edge of our sidewalk as it possibly can.
This one also has sharp stickers that hurt my hand when I try to pull it from the ground. You got it, just like sin, God certainly created weeds to remind us of our sin.

Hear is another weed that can grow very fast covering a large area and kill whatever is under it. It seems like weeds grow twice as fast as the good plant. A LOT LIKE SIN!

I often think about Ephesians 6 verses 10 - 18 God tells us to be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. I will let you read the rest of it. Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.