It all started with a simple Facebook status...

A few days ago I did what so many people do...I vented, on Facebook. It wasn't about a relationship gone wrong or something a family member did to tick me off (that's lame and childish anyways). It was simply about my frustration about trying to find my little meatball a pair of shoes for his little feet, which seem to be growing at lightening speed lately!

And what I got back in return was unexpected. A friend emailed me a few shopping tips for our teeny town which is not the shopping metropolis that one might mistake it for HA! Then we caught up about life in and out of ministry. In just a couple of days we have exchanged emails that read more like a face to face conversation which I love and out of it came some huge, desperately needed reflections and encouragement.

This friend, forwarded me this devotional and something happened. It was like someone opened a window in the attic of my heart and started clearing away some of the cobwebs (I always thought that sounded nicer than spiderwebs).

It realized that I feel like our garden. It started out as a decent space and looked alright. We had great ideas about what to do with what would hopefully pop up through the dirt. Rather than robust vegetables we got weeds. Paul planted it and did a great job but over time the weeds grew up and choked everything out. Now it's hard to tell what we planted in the first place except for a few weathered and faded seed packets, that if I squint, I can still read them.

The little meatball and I walk out there around the side of the house where the "garden" is and all I see is weeds. I look at them and remember buying them and the thoughts I had about them but they are only memories. No real fruit or vegetables. Somehow time got away from me & other things became more important (& often more urgent) than weeding.

I look at the weeds and don't know where to start or what is critical to deal with because it all looks like a mess.Then I remember that God can do a lot with a little, even what seems to be a useless weed patch (which is how I feel at times).