THORNS AND THISTLES

I've been out in the garden again, but this time to admire my flowers.  My "Matthew Rose" (named after our grandson who now resides in heaven) is in bloom.  It will quit producing flowers soon and bloom again in August.

I cannot take any credit for this beautiful yellow rose and it's success.  It has been transplanted 3 times and other than cut back the stems in the Spring and watering it, I don't do anything special.  It just continues to grow as it is supposed to do.  

Here's another rose bush I planted two years ago.  It is a shrub rose and other than trimming the stems that tend to get out of control in the Spring, I don't do anything special with it either.  Do notice the thistles beginning to make there way up the mound, because that is one of the things I wish to talk about today.

Now to my other garden pictures:                   

My Dead "Knock Out" Rose

The Thistles invading my Zucchini

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Question...Why did my Knock Out Rose, which is supposed to be the most hardy of roses, die through the winter and the others survive? Well, those of you who live in Indiana know why.  It was just too harsh a winter for it!  Perhaps the roots were too weak and weren't strong enough to handle the cold.  Remind you of any Biblical principles? How about the parable Christ told in Matthew 13:1-9?  I won't print the verses but I invite you to read it for yourself.  Jesus explains this parable in verses 18-23.  "Seed was planted and even before it took root the enemy (Satan) snatches it away, some seed fell in rocky places and since it had no roots when trouble (or a harsh winter, etc.) comes along it quickly falls away.  Some fell among the thorns (or thistles in my case) and the worries of this life and deceitfulness of wealth choke it out making it unfruitful. But then some fell on good soil and it produced a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

My mentoring question for us today is this:  "What kind of soil are we continuing to be?"  Are we providing ourselves the proper things we need to amend our soil, so when a harsh winter comes along we remain strong? Are we keeping short accounts by hoeing out the thistles and thorns that threaten to encroach and take over our garden of life?  This problem can happen quickly in spiritual gardens.  We go a week or two without getting into the word, without praying, or enjoying the fellowship of other believers and we find the thorns and thistles choking the very life out of us!  So we have to keep diligent and watch for these pesky weeds.  Isn't the Bible practical?  These are just some gardening analogies I had for this week.  So if you wonder what I will be doing...I'll be out in my garden with a hoe, for I clearly have some weeding to do!

As a side note:  Happy Father's Day to all you hard working dad's out there!   WE APPRECIATE YOU!