My week seems to have continued on the same as last week. It was filled with weeds, bugs, raspberries and heat--again. I am not sure that I appreciate the repetition of some of it. But it all happened and I still could learn something to help me remember that God has something important to teach me in everything that I experience.
The bugs continued to bug me and we went after them with a vengeance--the same way I should attack any sin that I discover is in my life. While we have killed thousands and thousands of the little beetles, more keep coming. It is rather discouraging and sometimes I wonder--"is it worth it"?
I have a garden that keeps on giving me weeds. Little sinful things that didn't become a problem to Adam until he sinned, Eve, too. But now they are here to stay. For a number of reasons, several places in my garden did not get the attention when it should have. Consequently the weeds grew and grew. If only I had been able to deal with them when they were small! But I did not and the little weed sins grew to be big weed sins. I am determined to conquer those sins that I let grow. I do not want them to multiply further.
One of the weedy places was in our corn patch. To see my garden "corn field", you would think that we planted 4 or 5 different varieties. But we didn't! We planted only one kind. The first 2 rows had to be replanted a week behind the others. They have not quite caught up to the others. The next 3 rows were tilled between the rows and they are doing good! The next 3 rows did not get tilled or weeded!!!! They are short and stunted and are a different color--lighter green instead of the dark healthy green that they should be. The next 3 rows were weeded and tilled at the proper time and are doing great, taller and dark green and maturing as they should be. It has become very plain to me that leaving weeds to grow without any weeding is "not worth it".
I have been picking raspberries, often early in the morning as I like to pick them when it is cool rather than wait until the sun gets higher in the sky. My berries grow on the west side of a metal building and that metal siding reflects the heat right at me and I get HOT! When I get too hot, it is easy for me to decide picking the berries is "not worth" my trouble. And then I feel guilty. So I pick in the cool of the morning when there is shade and a less intense sun. After doing that multiple times this week I decided picking them was "not worth it". There is always an end to a good thing and this week even with diligent searching, I was finding fewer and fewer good berries. So, one day this week I declared that what berries are still there, are "not worth it".
Another job this week stressed my thigh muscles--really stressed them!!!! And I have been suffering with sore muscles that have been making it extremely hard to walk, sit down, stand back up, get proper sleep....... As I look back on that project, while I am proud of what I accomplished, it still was "not worth" the pain that I have experienced since.
I choose to use a plastic lawn chair for one of my garden tasks. It was a very nice lawn chair--was! Was until it tilted and one leg separated itself from the rest of the chair and I landed on the ground. It let me down! Let me way way down! This happened after my sore muscles were making it so hard for me to get up or down and now I had to get up off the ground which was even worse than trying to stand up from a seated position. To look at the chair, it still has 3 legs and looks nice, if you don't notice the one missing leg! But trying to use it, you would find that "it is not worth it". I had to have help to get back up! Thank you to Garry for helping me get back up, I might still be on the ground without help. God does not leave us stranded on the ground. He is always there to help us get back up. He will never let me down!
Have you had the experience of starting something…you really poured your best effort into a cause, and then you began to wonder whether it was really worth that time and effort? It can be called “discouragement.” A dictionary defines it as “that which causes one to weaken.” Discouragement is a prelude to one of the most devastating of all illnesses, known as “QUIT‑ITIS.” If you recognize the symptoms of this virus, you can do something about it. Discouragement almost always comes when you are physically tired. It doesn't usually happen when you were physically on top of life–when you were feeling at your best. But you can recall many times when you were weary, then this enemy of progress sets in. Prophet Elijah met the prophets of Baal. He won--God helped--yet when he was tired physically as the result of the conflict, he turned and ran to the wilderness. His discouragement turned to quit‑itis as he said, “Lord, just let me die. I am no better than the prophets before me.” He felt "it wasn't worth it".
Discouragement is extremely contagious. Charles Jones, better known as Charles Tremendous Jones, was an extremely successful businessman. In a few years he sold more insurance than many men sell in a lifetime. When Jones was asked if he ever got discouraged he replied, “Sure, I do, but I can’t afford to let you know. Then we’ll just discourage each other.” When one man allows himself to become discouraged he will discourage everybody he comes in contact with. Remember the ten spies sent out by Joshua discouraged an entire nation. Discouragement is a luxury you just cannot afford. Discouragement is an enemy which battles faith. Martin Luther defined faith as “a lively, reckless confidence in God.”Faith says, “I can visualize what I want to accomplish, or I am willing to trust God for…” Discouragement cries out, “It is not worth it.”
God never tells me "you are not worth it" ! Instead, He reaches down and lifts me up. I am so glad He does not leave me stranded. He tells me "I am worth it".
