Last summer when we bought our home with a tropical backyard, I stared at what must have once been an artist’s tapestry full of tropical plants, Palm trees, a waterfall, Koi fishpond, and endless ferns. As I stood on the stone walkway that led from the waterfall to the pond, a frog leaped across my bare toes to the mossy water below. I closed my eyes and imagined what it must have looked like ten years ago and how happy it must have made the owner. But all that was gone. In its place sat rocks crumbling below the waterfall, its water seeping out creating erosion. A filthy pond full of moss, mold, and mildew. Tropical plants, once vibrant and colorful, covered with weeds and vines that strangled their growth.

When the bulldozer arrived, I felt both relieved and sad. Sad that this artist’s tapestry had been left unattended for so long. Yet relieved we could start over. I remember my husband saying he wanted to start with a clean slate to see what he could build. While the bulldozer tore down the waterfall and pond, we worked for weeks to replant what was still alive and re-home the Koi fish (they went to a local high school’s pond).

This spring has certainly been unusual with the state at home order and quarantine, but I have found joy in watching what has sprung up from the earth. I am amazed at how many plants survived the demolition and how many wanted to live. The beautiful Japanese maple we replanted is more beautiful than ever!

It reminds me of what God sometimes has to do with us to get our attention. We find ourselves in a season of “de-weeding” where everything is stripped away. No matter what the circumstances, the process is painful, and if we’re honest, a season none of us want to go through. Then our attention shifts, as if what seemed critical, suddenly appears irrelevant in light of the struggle we face. We see clearly, as if for the first time, the clean slate of who we can become.

We see clearly, as if for the first time, the clean slate of who we can become.

Out of hurt, rejection, and pain, new life springs forth. Life that overflows with healthy fruit. We’re stronger for it. More determined and more healthy without the weeds strangling us. We awake to new life with a new purpose. So, let’s take a minute to thank the Gardener who allowed us to start over with a clean slate, releasing us from the chains holding us back from becoming who He designed us to be.

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