Is it a weed or a blessing?

I have not done much weeding over the last 2 months. First it was vacation, then August's humidity and mosquitoes. Then it was getting settled in school, ministry, and so on. Now I can claim that I MUST study and don't have time for yard work. Yet it's funny how I have more blog entries in the last two months than all summer... go figure! Since I hadn't been doing all that yard work, my lack of weeding gave me a great contrast to consider.

Yesterday I was actually doing some studying and heard one of our cats just going bonkers at a back window. I knew from the amount of chattering and 'chk-chk-chk-Merrrroooo!' from the window that it had to be something tasty on the wing close by. It turned out that the pokeberries out back were being assaulted by a flock of robins! There were six or seven of them, sitting on the stems and pecking at the berries, with lots of fluttering and flipping around. The pokeberries bobbed up and down with the weight of so many birds on them, but by the time they left, the berries were just about gone. To think that I had looked at that stand of "weeds" just a few days earlier and wished I could go out and uproot the blasted things... but didn't because it was pouring rain at the time!

So I had to ponder... weed or blessing? Well, in terms of the gardener in me, a definite "WEED", worth putting some vinegar or other natural weed killer on in hopes of knocking them down before they re-seed for next spring's growing season. But the birder in me was thrilled to see so many birds in a natural backyard habitat, having a joy ride and munching on berries all at the same time. I felt like I had a new picture of what pokeberries could be good for - bird food!

So many times I see things through one perspective: mine! I have no concept of God's bigger picture. I miss His grand ideas because of my own agenda. I give Him my laundry list of requests instead of sitting and watching and listening to His direction for my life.

So here's to pokeberries, and robins, and hearing God's Voice...

from our home to yours...
Deb