Sunday, June 23, 2013

Brick Sidewalks

This morning early I went outside and pulled the weeds out of the long crack between the slabs in my driveway. It seems they were designed to be expansion joints, but they have become the one place in the driveway where the weeds can and do grow. I noticed when I was pulling these weeds that somehow it was comforting. That made me wonder why. Maybe it was because the rain had made it easy and fast. Maybe it was because the difference was so dramatic when the weeds were gone. Then it hit me.

When I was a child I lived on a farm, and the driveway was gravel, not like the nice cement I have today. There was a short walkway from where we parked the car next to the house to the small slab of cement we called the back porch. It was “L” shaped and was made of old red brick. Every spring it would sprout weeds in every one of those cracks. My parents would pay me 50 cents to use a screw driver and pair of pliers and my bare hands to pull the weeds from all those cracks. I remember when I first started to do it, I was frustrated because I did not know how to do it very well. Over time, I got very good at it and it became a more simple and faster task. I got to where I liked it because I always beat the weeds. They never won.

In life I have found that it is good to enjoy the simple things that can make so much difference. It is comforting to remember, the weeds never win.

Prayer
Father, I praise and thank You for being our God; for always watching over us. I thank You Father that You have given us the power over the weeds in our life. Please help us to remember that we have that power and to use it for good. Please help Your people get the weeds out and not be frustrated. In Jesus name. Amen.