A Week in the Weeds

"Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.”  He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels.  “As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear" (Matthew 13:36-43 NIV).

As I drove home from work last night, I turned over in my mind how I would describe my week and all I experienced.  Don't get me wrong . . .  it was a really, really good week in so many ways and for so many reasons!  I am blessed to have a wonderful job for a great company and fun, smart, hard-working and genuinely good people as coworkers.  So I would dare not complain! I know how "good" I've got it in that respect!

Throughout the week, though, I "walked through the weed patch" almost as often as I walked where "good seed" had been sown, however!  Travel and the accompanying lack of good sleep. Hit the ground running on Wednesday upon returning to the office.  Working on a big proposal with three more in the back of my mind - the deadlines are impending and I have already told the family I will be working (a lot!) in the next month to get the projects completed.  My boss and several staff are juggling closing two big jobs, getting two more jobs signed off so we can begin work and so the stress levels were very high.

Copier/laser printer  had to practically be disassembled to find a paper jam . . . conference calls . . . lunch and learns . . . stuck in traffic . . .  slamming of brakes/skidding on the way home . . . phone calls and emails not returned after multiple messages left . . . you get the point -- one of those "if it can go wrong it did" kind of weeks!  But I noticed myself reacting in a new, more positive way to each and every "negative."  Overall I was able to keep things in perspective. I didn't get angry, or upset over any of these inconveniences! Yes, I got stressed . . . but I was able to redirect my focus to what is really important in view of "the Kingdom." 

I found myself saying, "Well, at least XXX didn't happen . . ."  or "Wow, that worked out afterall." Most often I reminded myself that none of it constituted a crisis. The inconveniences and obstacles didn't deter me from keeping my focus on what really matters. (Dont' get me wrong . . . I didn't do it perfectly!)

Overall, my week turned out much better than it might have had I reacted in they way did in the past. I hope I can continue to keep my focus on the positive. Come on out of the weed patch. Walk with me in the spendor of the shoots God has planted.




"Then all your people will be righteous and they will possess the land forever. They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor" (Isaiah 60:21 NIV).




Blessings on your journey,
Mary