Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Saved by the weeds

Good morning, Dear Friends and Prayer Partners! This is the day that the Lord has made and we will rejoice and be glad in it! I hope some of you saw the sunrise this morning... Gorgeous! God had His paintbrush out and was using oranges and pinks liberally.

Yesterday I splashed along on the wet boardwalk, enjoying the coolness of the breeze on my skin, and visited Mama gator. She was back on the right side of the nest, in her usual spot with a flip-flop on her nose. People are still dropping things on her, trying to get her to move, I guess.

I went on out to the tower, passing and being passed by children and parents and "Meemaw" and saw an old timer regular, who said he had moved to Kissimmee. He was just here to visit family. He has a thick foreign accent and usually walks with weights and looks to be in good shape. Then there were some Vietnamese, well dressed ladies and a guy. All kinds of people enjoy Sawgrass! God is good!

From the Book Quiet Moments with God:

Matthew 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest.

The story is told of a potato farmer who encountered some problems due to hot weather. Because potatoes are a very temperamental crop and must be in the ground a certain period of time, the farmer was concerned that the planting be done on time.

The weather broke, however, and he planted the potatoes only five days late. As the cultivation process began, everything looked good except for two plots where weeds began to grow out of control two weeks before the harvest. It was too late to destroy the weeds. The farmer had to let them keep growing.

Another more severe problem emerged when a truck strike interfered with the targeted harvest date. the farmer knew that leaving his potatoes too long in the Arizona summer heat would destroy the crop. In the meantime, the "carpet weeds" continued to flourish and provided an almost blanket-like protection over the potatoes, while taller weeds gave additional shade..

Later as the harvesters examined the fields, they discovered that wherever the weeds had grown up, there was no spoilage of potatoes. In weed-free areas, the potatoes were ruined because of the heat. The weeds saved his crops. He had only 5 percent spoilage.

God often uses seemingly adverse circumstances to shield and shade us from "spoilage" in our lives. The very "weeds" we chafe about-petty irritations, chronic interruptions, "Irregular" people-are often the means He uses to enhance our ultimate growth and develop a harvest of Godly character in us.

Nothing with God can be accidental.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

I always give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers with thanksgiving, joy and love!
Love and hugs,
Amaryllis