No...that's not a Jungle...
THAT. IS. MY. GARDEN.
I know...sad.
Usually I have more veggies than I can eat & have to give them away.
Not this year...I'm the one begging for fresh veggies from others.
There is no "fruit from my labor".
Too be honest...I had a feeling I wasn't going to have a "harvest of plenty" this year.
As we tilled up our dirt...it was horrible.
Clumpy...lumpy...if I threw a dirt wad at you...I could knock you out because it was so hard.
But I planted the garden anyway...& hoped for the best.
As the summer went on...I spent very little time out there.
I didn't stay up with the weeds...AT ALL.
They took over...what seemed to be overnight.
This makes me think about so many of our friends who are struggling in their marriages right now. My heart just aches every time I hear about an affair...or a spouse leaving...or just when you sit next to a couple and you can feel the tension & sadness inside them. It seems like it is all around us right now. Families struggling to stay together. Just like my garden...it's not overnight. It's a slow fade...little by little life gets in the way & you find yourself in a situation you swore you never would be in. Matt & I are becoming more & more in tune with watching for the warning signs in our family & friends. Praying we can encourage them...keep them accountable & help "pick the weeds" out of their marriage.
I feel so blessed to have the life I have...a husband who loves God...& loves me.
We work daily to keep our marriage focused on Him.
Please do not think I have "it all figured out" or we are "perfect"..by no means.
But we are building a hedge around our marriage so no enemy can invade.
I give all of you full permission to hold us accountable in our marriage.
I know this is heavy today. Just weighing on my heart.
Please...pay attention...get help if you need it...don't let your "garden" be overcome with weeds & quit producing "fruit"in your marriage.
And my garden...yea...it's sad...but it's my fault. The weeds don't pick themselves.
Above all else, Guard your heart for it's the wellspring of life.
Proverbs 4:23
Awesome post Steph! I am pulling the "weeds" out of my schedule. I Push thru with my health issues for everyone, my kids, volunteering, my chores, my social life and shortened time with GOD & my HUBBY. He let me know that he gets my leftovers and when he gets home, well.... there's not much left! CONVICTED, it hurt to think I made him feel this way. I've repented, I've said NO this week, to 3 social engagements I was invited to, even though I wanted to go, I stayed home to greet my hubby when he got home later each night. I look forward to more changes in my life, heart, and mostly seeing GOD & Hubby feel #1 and #2.
ReplyDeleteAmen Julie!! Thanks for sharing your heart!!
ReplyDeleteSteph,
ReplyDeleteIt's so sad to see society push the envelope of defining what marriage should mean and what God originally had in mind when He created it. I think part of the problem stems there with people accepting that simple fact and not fighting for the rights of marriage.
We simply can not stand by and think that this will not affect us. This is our biggest challenge to date besides consistently searching out our own marriage foundations in search of cracks.
Great post and filled with so much wisdom!
Love and Hugs ~ Kat
If I had a garden I would be awful at keeping up with it! I had my first couple in counseling this week split despite everything we "worked" on. Or I thought they were working on. It is so sad and really hard to see it happen. I felt like a failure, but ultimately it was their doing, not mine. Thank God that you and Matt have a heart for marriages, not many people do!
ReplyDelete