The Pumpkins are back

Our pumpkin patch had laid dormant for the 'winter' - as if we really have winter in So Cal! The other day I noticed a bunch of green leafs in the midst of the weeds. Upon a closer inspection it turns out that there are now over 50 pumpkin plants growing! It seems a few seeds remained from last year's crop so there are some wild ones growing. I spent a bit of time out there this weekend digging the weeds away from the seedlings and turning the soil over. There is a sense of pure joy that comes to me when I putter in a garden. Sort of like how I feel with I ride my Huffy beach cruiser bike along the beach. Something about working the soil with my hands. When I was digging around I kept thinking about all these different weeds that were appearing. Some had thorns. Others were more gentle and soft. But they all can do one thing: choke out the growth of the plant. I thought about the weeds around my own heart. The things that choke out my roots from growing deeper. Pride. Anger. Lust. Acclaimation of others. Pursuit of ease of life. Filling my life with busy ness and forgetting to take care of soul business. Fall is many months off. Our little pumpkin patch has an early start. Fifty plants is the same we started from scratch last year and I haven't even put one seed in the ground yet. But the bigger lesson for me is to allow the Holy Spirit to pull the weeds from my heart so that I may gain a heart of wisdom as I walk in the ways of God.