This was written and shared in early August 2021. I’m resharing it unedited here because I have another post coming to tie into this one being posted soon. Enjoy!
As I walk down my sidewalk to my deck in the backyard, I see a patch of dirt that is surrounded by the concrete sidewalk and our house. We have planted things in there and a few have survived on either end, but the middle remains a reminder of my lack of gardening ability. Right now, it is showcasing a few weeds, weeds that I know I need to take a few minutes to pull. Yet I’ll probably just glare at them for the next week or so in hopes that they will feel my annoyance with them and disappear (a girl can dream, right?). Then after the patch is full of tall weeds in a couple of weeks, I’ll feel ashamed of having a patch of my yard that looks bad and I’ll spend at least an hour on my hands and knees pulling weeds and asking myself, “Why did I do this to myself again?” I have been doing this to myself for 11 years now. You would think I would have learned a lesson by now. Well, actually I did recently.
So as I was angry at myself during a weed pulling session, I had a conversation with God. He and I regularly have conversations during my weed pulling sessions because who else am I going to talk to as I am alone pulling weeds? Each time I hear something like, “You need to be more intentional with these weeds. They suck the life out of things around them.”
“Well, God, this land was doing just fine with weeds and other vegetation long before I came along. Why can’t I just let nature take its course?”
“You could, but the beauty of flowers and shrubs that you were trying to showcase around the blessing of a house you have would be smothered until they eventually died. Also, leave the weeds alone long enough, they will take over your house as well.”
“I don’t want that, so I’ll take care of them and try to do better the next time.”
This last time though, God approached our conversation differently. I, of course, start the same way, angry at myself and the weeds for taking over my patch of dirt. God first had me noticing the different types of weeds. In view were the ones that were easy to pull out and there were a lot of them. Next were the ones that had harder roots to pull out. They sometimes spread out like vines and wrapped themselves up in other weeds or plants. These weeds were fewer but caused more damage. Then the weeds that found ways to cause pain when you attempted to remove them made an appearance. Most of the time I leave them for last or put them off until next time, even though I know they are only going to get bigger and cause more pain.
As I was seeing these various weeds, God was asking me, “Do you not see the resemblance?”
Me, being slow to understand, thinks, “Well I haven’t noticed any resemblances in 11 years, why would I now? Can you give me a hint?”
“Lies,” He said.
I stopped what I was doing and started thinking. Weeds and lies totally resemble each other. I hate them both and try hard not to deal with either one of them. Yet they both tend to take over any place they can.
As I started back on the weeds, I asked God how else they resemble each other? He brought examples to mind that paralleled each weed with lies.
The easy to deal with weeds are the small lies that we tell ourselves or others that don’t seem to matter. These lies don’t seem to be big deals or important but if we continue to tell ourselves or others these lies, they can add up to bigger problems. For example, one that I tend to tell myself is, I have nothing to offer in conversations, to the project, to someone else, etc.
I may not have anything to offer, but if I keep engaged and listen, I’ve changed the outcome whether I have said anything or not. I have shown kindness to others and that can be a confidence booster or a good sounding board that helps them clarify something on their own. Had I listened to the lie, maybe nothing seems to have changed, but little seeds of doubt are now planted in my mind. Those doubts then can spread to the point of thinking nothing I do is worth sharing. The lie has now smothered a gift or blessing that God has given me.
The weed that is a vine resembles lies that may have come about because of the previous lie. These lies can wrap themselves around all areas of our lives and try to stop us from growing spiritually, at work, in relationships, etc.
One of these lies for me is that I am not able to speak well. When I start to consider talking to others, my mind envisions that I am not good at it and I’m just going to sound like the dumbest person in the room. A few different scenarios then happen: 1) I am quiet and miss an opportunity to help someone, 2) I overthink my response and miss what the person is saying, or 3) I speak, thinking it best to embrace the “dumbest person in the room” title. Yet when I speak, I break free of that lie. Whether I flubbed up the whole way speaking or spoke something that seemed simple, I didn’t let the lie hold me back. I have found that when I have spoken up and felt dumb in the process, others have thanked me or shown their appreciation for the words.
The lie that resembles the prickly weed can come about as a result of leaving the other lies to continue to grow. These lies can hurt us and/or others. We tend to let these lies sit and fester for as long as possible, sometimes never taking care of them because they are too painful to deal with.
For example, say you felt like you had nothing new to say to a friend that was hurting so you just let others “take care” of the hurt. Then when you felt that maybe the others were leading the person down the wrong path and you didn’t think you could tell them without sounding like a bad friend, you stay quiet again. After a while you know that the person is hurting because you didn’t speak up or offer your attention in the beginning. They don’t seem to want to talk to you or be around you now. You made a mistake and one that could cost you a friendship. There is no way this person is going to ever forgive you and why should they? You were a horrible friend. Or so the lie wants you to think. At any point in this situation, you can overcome this lie with kindness, kindness to yourself and to the friend. It may not be easy or seem welcomed, but it could make a difference. Will there still be a friendship? I don’t know, but taking the step of showing kindness can help that lie of not being able to help be easier to remove.
Sometimes all we need to do in friendships is be present and acknowledge that what they are dealing with is difficult and unfortunate. Or as I have said to others before “That sucks. I don’t have answers but I’m here for you in any way I can be.” Those acknowledgements may not seem like much, but it helps to know that others are there with you in the moment if nothing else.
Back to my conversation with God again and just so He knows how stubborn I am, I continue with, “What if I don’t want to deal with any of the lies I have let take over in my life/dirt patch?”
He said, “Well then you will slowly fall down and will be overtaken by them. You may not even realize how much they are slowing you down or holding you back, but they are. How was 2020 for you? Any lies that you didn’t take care of?”
“Well, of course! You know there were several.”
“And what have you been dealing with because of them?”
“Depression, writer’s block, feeling separated from you to name a few. But you knew that too.”
“How can you get past these?”
“Well, I guess I need to realize that my truth comes from you and not what I am letting take over my dirt patch. But sometimes I don’t even realize the lies have taken root or the roots of the lies are too deep to dig out on my own. What then?”
“Do you really want to hear it? I know you know it, but will you believe it? Read my word, pray, and gather your community to help you. It may seem too simple but don’t confuse simple and easy. Following me and my plans for you won’t be easy even if they seem simple. But have faith that my truths are better for your life than letting those lies take over, even though it seems easier to not deal with them in the beginning.”
Yet again, I am humbled by God’s truths: I am loved, known, enough and worthy of all He has planned for me. Thank you God for the reminder.
One of the lies I have been dealing with is that I don’t have anything good to share with those around me. I’ve been in a similar bubble as everyone else and they are experiencing life just like me so what could I share that will make a difference to anyone? The longer I have felt this way, the harder it has been to write. If I have been able to write, something comes along and distracts me from finishing. When that happens I find whatever I wrote is trash and no way worth sharing when I try to finish it. So by posting this, I am trying to pull the weeds of my life out and take back my patch of dirt. I pray that you tackle the weeds in your dirt patch as well and know that if you need anyone to help you, I’m here. Also, there are several different lists of God’s truths vs. lies on the internet. Here is just one of them (thank you Suzie Eller for your list). Feel free to look at it for some biblical guidance or look up different ones that may help you to pull out your weeds.
God,
I know you have been trying to get me to see the lies I have let take over my life. I’ve been stubborn and for that I’m sorry. Please forgive me for all the times I have not listened to you or followed through on what you have asked me to do. I pray that you have those that read this see the lies they may be dealing with and hear from you on how to see the truths you have for them. We are your children and are deserving of your love and forgiveness. Help us to see that as we turn to you for our truth and start pulling out the weeds of lies in our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
A Faith Journal 
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