ONE PATCH AT A TIME
It was quite daunting, really. Every time I looked out towards my backyard I cringed. There were too many weeds! And when it would rain they would multiply like rabbits. So, the best thing to do was to ignore it, tell myself it wasn’t really that bad and I can live with it. Eventually I couldn’t ignore it anymore. But, where to begin? Kev sprayed as many as he could before I got started. He had been trying to do it alone for quite awhile but even he couldn’t do it. So, a few weeks ago I decided to do the side yard. I would take a small patch of weeds and finish that area. And then I would move to the next patch of weeds. After almost three hours I finished….until I saw the other side. Discouraged, tired, and very hot ,I was done. Have you ever felt like that before? Is there a project that seems impossible? Does the caring of a terminally ill loved one bring you to the brink of total exhaustion, both physically and emotionally? Have you been searching for that special someone only to have it end time and time again? Does our current world events cause you to be despaired? Does losing the weight you thought would come off easily suddenly become too much… or maybe a habit that isn’t what you want in your life but you just can’t stop? It would be easy to give up, ignore it or have a lot of excuses to go forward…because it’s too difficult, right? God knew that looking too far ahead could discourage us and keep us from trusting Him to meet our daily needs. We see this in the story of the Israelites wandering in the desert. God instructed them to eat the food (manna) one day at a time as He would supply their daily needs. But some didn’t trust Him so they tried to save some extra in case God didn’t come through for them the next day. The result? The manna turned to maggots, unable to be consumed. Whatever you are facing God isn’t asking you to tackle it all at once. Instead, He’s asking you to trust Him one day at a time, one patch at a time, until it’s completion. On the hottest day on record for March, Kev and I decided to work together, taking one patch at a time of the weeds, not looking too far ahead of us, until we finished the job. With two trash cans full, we were done….well, at least until the next rain. May you all be encouraged this day to move forward, one step at a time, until God leads you to the final patch.