Kids Ministry

Dedicated to helping Kids Ministry leaders in their mission of making disciples

  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Training
  • Events
  • Team
  • Resources
Encouragement, Leadership
April 4, 2013

Pulling Weeds

By Bill Emeott

Klista Storts photoSo, I find myself 30,000 feet up in an airplane on the way to Oklahoma City. (Just a guess – honestly, I don’t know how high airplanes fly.) Anyway, I have about an hour and a half to kill, and I get bored easily.  So, what else to do but write, right?

On the way to the airport this morning, I was looking at all the yards with pretty purple flowers in them.  You know the kind you don’t have to plant… the ones that come up miraculously in the spring all on their own?

Well, we have a multitude of those in our yard as well.  And just last week, I was out pulling them out of my garden by the fistfuls.  Why? So I could see the other pretty purple flowers that I had planted myself just last year.  As I was pulling out those pesky purple plants, it hit me. They were about the same color as the ones I had paid for and planted on my own.  But these were free.  They were effortless… and created by God.  Hmmm.  I wonder how He feels about them? Does He look down on us silly humans and say, “What are you doing? I planted those for you! Why are you trying to make things harder than you need to? Enjoy!”

I’ve started looking around as I drive down country roads and up hillsides.  I’ve started really seeing all those flowers that we call weeds.  The purples, yellows, and pinks just scattered through fields.  And they’re beautiful.  No human on earth could ever top what God, Himself has made.

So many times, I have stressed over getting the “weeds” out of my life.  But now, I have to say, I may start looking at the world a little differently.  I wonder what things God has put in my life that I’ve considered worthless, messy, a pain to deal with.  Things that get in the way of what I’ve got planned.  Sure, there are definitely things in my life that need to be torn out and tossed away.  And true, weeds can get out of hand and take over a garden. But in reality, most of the weeds I’m stressed over are things I’ve put there on my own.  I look back and can tell you, there were times I tried to make my ministry MY ministry, when maybe God had something better in mind.

Let me encourage you to take a look around you — at your life and your ministry. Are there things that just keep popping up and getting in your way?  Maybe there’s a reason for them.  Maybe you need to stop and see the beauty in what God is doing and join Him in it! I think you’ll enjoy the ride.

You may also like -

  • End the Recruiting Woes: Recruit Like Jesus!End the Recruiting Woes: Recruit Like Jesus!
  • What Defines Me?What Defines Me?
  • Whom Are You Discipling?Whom Are You Discipling?
  • A wise plan of discipleship requires a PLAN! (GIVEAWAY)A wise plan of discipleship requires a PLAN! (GIVEAWAY)

Filed Under: Encouragement, Leadership April 4, 2013

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Subscribe to Podcast

Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsAndroidby EmailRSS

Sign Up to receive the free Kids Ministry 101 Magazine!

Get the Digital Magazine Get the Print Magazine
Want to write for Lifeway Kids?

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,214 other subscribers

@LifeWayKids
FOLLOW
My Tweets

All Ministry Sites

Leadership
Kids Ministry
Student Ministry
Groups Ministry
Women’s Ministry
Worship Ministry

Digital Resources

Ministry Grid
Lifeway Worship
Digital Church
KidEvent Pro
MyCurriculum Manager
Simulcast Manager
Lifeway Reader eBooks
Generosity
WORDsearch
SmallGroup.com

Lifeway Network

Lifeway Research
B&H

Copyright © 2021 · Lifeway Christian Resources · All Rights Reserved