Invasive Vines

M
any years ago I walked out my front door on my way to run some of the many errands that my life demanded at the time while raising three sons.


On my way down the porch steps I noticed an invasive weedy vine that had wrapped itself around one of my good plants. I told myself to rip that weed out before it did any more damage.

But somehow life got in the way and I did not take care of it. Almost overnight it seemed that the vine had gotten a strangle hold of my plant and was about to choke all life from it.

 At the time I tried to apply a spiritual truth and keep that in the back of my mind as a reminder to take care of all the "little foxes" that eat up the vineyard--

Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.  Song of Solomon 2:15

Yesterday my husband and I made a 3 hour trip to Hamburg, Arkansas. We had business down there for Renewal Ranch. My husband's father is from that area of Arkansas so we decided to stop by a couple of cemeteries and visit his grandparents' grave sites. He had only been there one other time in his life.

 While there I noticed this vine that had gotten totally out of hand and was reminded of the long ago lesson.

The vine was snake like and spoke volumes to me about what started out as small festers of bitterness, unforgiveness, or what some might refer to as "little white lies," but when they aren't dealt with and removed from our lives how they can take over.

And as my mind took the analogy further, I noticed the tombstones in the background and was reminded of the death that follows--death of relationships, reputations, loyalties.

If we let things go unattended too long, our thinking can become twisted and we will not operate in the true love of the Spirit as Jesus did.

My prayer today is that I and any of you who need to will attend to any weed that has invaded our spiritual gardens, that we will let the master gardener perform His special surgery on us--heal our broken places and get us back on the path of full growth and service for His kingdom.

Not far from this twisted vine I spotted this gorgeous example of beautiful growth under pressure--our Arkansas summer has been unbearable but this Crape Myrtle has not let it hinder its glory.

Oh that we might bring Him great glory!