Violet loved her garden. It was a place of peace and beauty, a refuge from the busy world. But lately, she had been allowing the weeds to take over. The plants were choking out the flowers, stealing their sunlight and water.
At first, Violet didn't notice. She was too busy with work and family obligations. But as time passed, she began to feel a growing sense of sadness and frustration. The garden that once brought her so much joy was now a source of bitterness and anger.
The bitterness and anger began to overcome everything that used to bring her joy. The happy memories from childhood, the love she shared with her husband, the life they were creating together; all of it was overshadowed by this darkness that seemed to consume her. She would often find herself alone in the middle of the night, weeping for no reason she could understand.
One morning, as she was getting ready for work, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and barely recognized the woman staring back at her. She looked tired and broken, like a shadow of her former self. With a heavy heart, she realized that things had gotten so bad that she didn't even recognize herself anymore.
Violet decided to go to her favorite place that had always brought peace.
The closer she got to the top of the hill, the more her heart raced. She loved this spot; it was where she came to think and clear her head. But today, something was different. The usually calming view only made her feel angrier. The bitterness and anger began to overcome everything that used to bring her joy. She sat down and let out a deep sigh, wondering what had gone wrong.
It wasn't long before she heard someone coming up the hill behind her. She turned around, prepared to give them a piece of her mind for interrupting her peace, but stopped short when she saw it was him. He had always been there for her when she needed him, even when she didn't want him.
Her heart recognized that the One that was always there for her, was also the One who had the answer for the weeds.
Those weeds could have been an opportunity to learn how to overcome, but she had allowed the weeds to become her joy stealers. She had lost sight of the big picture of the garden.
As she allowed herself to find peace in His Presence, the anger about the weeds began to melt away. She chose to be grateful for the little annoyances that had a purpose in helping her character grow into the person she had been praying to be.
Violet returned to her garden with new eyes. The weeds that before had looked so overwhelming, now had a purpose. She set herself down with her garden tools and a peaceful smile across her face.
Have the little annoyances been stealing your joy? Or have you been able to be grateful for the weeds? I'd love to hear if this has been a grateful season for you, or if you are struggling to find your joy.
0 Comments