Weeds are the unwanted plants that grow in your yard. They pop up suddenly and grow fast. A weed can start out innocent looking, maybe even have a pretty flower, but if left to grow, it can spread out taking over your entire garden; choking out all the other plants and robbing them of nutrients. These same weeds, if left unattended, will eventually take over your entire yard and if you have cracks in your walls or foundation they can invade your home. Problems in our lives are like weeds. Whether it be a health, relationship, home maintenance, work or addiction problem or a toxic person in our life, if we don’t deal with problems when they first reveal themselves they can grow. Weeds spread their seeds on top and roots underneath. The more expansive the growth the more time and attention it will take to eradicate. Just like weeds, we have to notice our problems when they’re small and deal with them, in order to not let them ruin our lives. Something as seemingly insignificant as an unpaid bill can grow out of control in interest payments and late fees. In addition, a small health issue, if addressed early can often be cured. If you choose to ignore symptoms of a health problem, it can grow out of control and be harder to cure. A relationship issue, if addressed and worked on, can be solved, but if left unmanaged, it can develop and grow to the point of no return leaving irreparable damage to the relationship. Negative thoughts, the words we tell ourselves or the words we hear from others, can be weeds that damage the soul if left unchecked. Replace these words with positive ones, reminding ourselves we are a sum of all things and not a representation of a single negative word.
Stand guard over your life as you would your garden. When you notice a “weed” somewhere, address it and try to eliminate it before it spreads, taking over other areas of your life. This starts by being aware of what a weed is, what it looks like, what it’s capable of becoming. Pull weeds and problems out by the root. Have you noticed, the longer you let a weed grow the deep and wide root system becomes interlocked with the ground, entwining with other roots making it difficult to remove? If the soil is dry and hardened, which can happen to our hearts, the weeds are even more difficult to remove. Conversely, if you see the weed early and don’t ignore it, you can tug at it gently and the ground will release it, root and all. In summary, be aware and on guard at all times in order to identify the weeds in your life, even the ones that could be lurking in hidden recesses with the intention to take over and destroy. Get the weeds out of your life as soon as you are aware of them, do not ignore them! Aim to keep your garden of life weed free so that you can have the fruit filled life you deserve.
~Teri Storm