I have a neglected wildflower garden. It can be beautiful as long as it’s maintained. All I really need to do is keep the weeds out and prune some of the plants. But right now, my garden needs some tender loving care – or maybe some tough love.
So I spent several hours today pulling weeds and cutting back plants. There’s still much work to be done, but these days I strive for progress, not perfection.
There’s a gorgeous lavender plant on the corner of the garden entrance. It’s gotten so big that it’s difficult to walk past it without brushing against it. But when it blooms – oh, the sweet smell that permeates the air all around!
I finally realized, however, that I had to cut it back. What was once lovely had become intrusive. So I did the work. Little by little, clipping here and there, I pruned and shaped until it was just right. And – in the taking away – its true beauty was revealed.
In those hours, I also managed to pull many weeds. I noticed how easily they released from the ground. We’ve had so many storms lately that the ground is softened, rather than being hard and holding on tight.
And as my arms grew weary from turning the soil, it occurred to me that I’m like this garden. Weeds have threatened to choke out new growth, and I’ve allowed them to stay. I’ve even watered a few of them. And I’ve gotten a little too big for my britches in some areas, not unlike that lavender bush.
So today I decided to let the Gardener do some work on me. It’s going to take a while, and it won’t be easy, but at least storms have softened the ground a little.
And maybe – like that lavender bush – when the excess is trimmed away, my roots will start pushing deep, giving me the strength I need to blossom.