Showers of Blessing? Or Just a Dreary Forecast?

This winter started in mid-October with unusually cold weather and lots of rain. It is usually cold for a total of five weeks here, and the sun is shining for all of them. It has rained since October and has not really stopped until today. Today felt like Arizona. It was sunny and warm. My large dog got his first bath since October. I know that is gross, but you try lifting a 125 pound dog into a bathtub!!

Because of the rain my backyard was covered in weeds. I would look out the window and sigh- it was always to rainy, cold and/or windy to pull weeds. Today it was nice to sit outside for close to two hours pulling weeds and feeling warm in a short sleeved shirt. I was going to spray the weeds, but there were so many and the spray is supposed to be continuous for a 10 count on each weed. So I decided to pull one up. In Arizona, the earth is usually baked hard. Today it was soft and moist and weeds were pullable. Usually all I get for my troubles pulling a weed is a handful of green leaves, not the roots. Today I was able to get most of the weeds leaves and roots! The ones whose roots were left behind, I sprayed.

The funny thing about weeds is that the bigger they are, the easier they are to pull. There is more there to yank on and leverage against the roots. The small ones were harder. Often times I was left with that fistful of all the leaves and the root was left intact.

And all of this led me to think about a few things.

First of all, I think my youth group has been going through an unusually long winter. It has been dreary and overcast and the daily forecast and outlook is not very sunny. I am used to short winters and a brief time of gray days. I also think that all this rain and dreariness will bring the most beautiful spring I have ever seen. All these seeds that are getting watered will bloom into a riot of beauty very soon. I think the sun is going to come and warm our hearts and inspire us to spend time in the garden.

The other thing I noted is that before any of the gardening can begin, all of the weeds have to be cleared. What's the point of having flowers if you have to look at the weeds grow all over them?

And lastly, I had a garden application in the idea that many times people will let God pull all the big weeds, and thinking the hard work is done, they leave and decide to pull the small weeds themselves. Really, the small weeds take more care in how they should be pulled and sometimes require extra treatment to get to the root of the unwanted weed to ensure it doesn't grow back up. The gardener pulls the big weeds first so he can get to the small ones. Getting the big weeds pulled doesn't qualify as the yard being ready for flowers.

Lots of prayers have been uttered by my lips over this weekend. I have shed many a tear, too. My heart is grieved but hope has been handed down.

April showers bring May-time flowers.