The sneaky creeper!

We have a little area along side our garage in the backyard where I have a flowerbed with a major design flaw. When the garage was built the owners at the time poured a concrete approach and connected it to a sidewalk which leads up to the house. Along side of the garage they laid white rock down a 5 foot strip leading to the back of the garage. In the center of this strip I put in a flowerbed to bring some color to the area. When I stand at the kitchen sink and look out the window I look upon the side of our garage so you can see why I would want something nice to look at while doing the dishes - after all a person has to have some joy out of doing the dishes besides just getting them clean.

Instead of laying rock it would have been so nice for the grass to grow to the edge of the garage at least you could mow the grass, we can't mow this area due to the rock or one could have just continued pouring the concrete to make a nice little pad around the side to connect it all together. You see this is where the sneaky creeper comes in...

It's official name is: Creeping Spurge eww... the name alone makes you have to lower your voice and say it slow C R E E E E P I N G   S P U U R R G E

This is what it looks like!

It grows low to the ground and it's seeds spread like crazy. You don't know where one begins and the other end. Before I knew it you couldn't see any of the white rock around my flowerbed or the inside of my flowerbed because it had been taking over by THE SNEAKY CREEPER!!!!!!!

One good thing about this weed is once you can get to the main root you can pull it out. As I was looking for the name of this CREEPER I discovered the experts say it's easier to pull the weed out by the roots if you wet the ground and hand pull the weed out and stay on top of it. The roots can grow down in the ground up to 2 feet!! WOW! I wish I would have know the experts secret before I was outside pulling these up best I could this morning as the heat of the day was starting to rise. Once I pulled one I couldn't stop, I was actually seeing ground again, yeah what a good sign. I couldn't plant anything beautiful until these weeds were gone. Please don't think I'm dramatic here but honest. Every time I would look out there and instead of seeing something beautiful I was seeing nothing but weeds. Oh the frustration and constant reminder!

God can use anything and this morning he used CREEPING SPURGE to teach me a lesson. Isn't this how our lives can look at times? Over ran with weeds? 

We need the Master Gardener - God!

Jesus tells us in John 15:1 I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. 

When we don't have an intimate relationship with Jesus who is the true vine our source and giver of life and live a life yielded to the Father - gardener, we are over run with weeds. We need God to pour out his life giving water then allow Him to tenderly take hold of the weedy roots in our lives and gently remove them. Beloved, God loves us so much he doesn't want to leave us weedy and over ran. 

He sent us Jesus to make a way. 

Isaiah 53:5-6 But he (Jesus) was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Step back with me into my yard for a moment. Remember the rock bed? Yes, it's rock but it's broken which allows the weeds to grow up. Sin is our broken relationship with God, we need Jesus who was crushed and took upon himself our punishment. This Jesus is our ROCK! Our SOLID ROCK!

The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock! 

Exalted be my God, the Rock, my Savior! 

2 Samuel 22:47 NIV 

Click hear & take a moment to listen to the words. Is Christ your Solid Rock?