Seeds of Winter

The first year of my marriage I went through a Bible study that allowed a deep healing in my heart from some choices I had made before I was a Christian.

The first night I came home from the study I was sitting out on our deck. Recently I had purchased a new pot that I just loved and couldn’t wait to start planting flowers in that and all my other pots. Much to my delight I noticed a very pretty leafy plant starting to grow in one of them. I watered and fertilized it. I even went to the point of splitting it up and transplanting it into my other pots, even my favorite new one. Boy, did that thing grow and multiply.

One day, I took a good look at it. It was a weed! I had been watering and fertilizing a weed! And it was in my favorite pot!

A thought ran through my mind, I truly believe it was from God, about how carefully I take care of the weeds of my heart, my secrets, my shame, my wrong choices. Although I firmly believed Jesus died on the cross for my sins and I received Him as my Lord and Savior still I held on to the shame of some of my decision made before I knew Him. If anyone ever knew, they probably wouldn’t like me, or want me in ministry. Plus, I would ask Jesus for forgiveness when I messed up after becoming a believer, I would punish myself by saying horrible things, to convince me I was a complete failure.

I went to great ends to make sure the weeds of my heart were taken care of and protected from others. Until that day, I let Jesus take those things out of my heart and I started to believe that when He said He would cleanse me from all unrighteousness when I confessed my sins, He really meant it. When He died for my sins while I was a sinner, His sacrifice was enough. I had to believe there was nothing more or less that I could do, but believe.

What I did in the past, was in the past. I am a new person in Jesus Christ. The amazing story truly is that ALTHOUGH I made the choices I made, He still died for my sins. That is the amazing story. I now walk in the unbelievable joy that He called me in spite of what I did in my past. And He calls each person from their sins. When He calls, word is, leave it there and come here. He already took care of it. No matter what I put in front of Jesus, the price is already paid and now I’m free to be all He wants me to be.

Comments

Sylvia said…
Thank you, Linda. Yes, we do have a tendency to concentrate on our negative qualities and forget to nurture our good ones. Thank you for reminding us what a truly awesome Savior we have. Hugs
October 21, 2009 at 4:47 PM
Darlene said…
Linda, well said! I was reading in Timothy this morning and was reminded that the seed of life has been planted...(sometimes very deep); however, we need to allow the seed to flourish by trusting in the Lord in some very difficult times. Love Ya
October 23, 2009 at 9:35 AM
koalabeebear said…
I wrote a story about this exact topic, I will have to dig it out, but it was amazing how I had a planter and I just thought that it was such an amazing plant and I watered it and fed it and then it grew and spread its seeds out and I realized it was a week and like the pain in my life, feeding the weed and allowing it to be spread was so wrong.
Bless you for your message, it was a good one.
November 4, 2009 at 12:02 PM
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