The Soil

Every time Justin is out of town, I pick a project to do to surprise him when he comes home. In the past I have redecorated the kitchen, painted rooms, all kinds of things.

This time I chose the front yard.

I thought I would weed, plant, and put down a bit of fresh mulch. But once I started, I got REALLY ambitious--trying to remove bushes with well-established root systems (took me at least 4 days just to do that) and other things.

Once I got that cotton-pickin' bush out of the ground (just after 10pm one night, mind you) I started to put in a few plants and flowers, but OH. MY. GOODNESS. I was dealing with some terribly hard soil!!!

The next 5 days I spent preparing the soil. And now finally, FINALLY it's ready. Time to plant.

My hands are blistered and I'm exhausted. But I'm also excited. Because I know something beautiful is coming!

I've read Luke 8 a million times, but it never made its mark on me like it has these past two weeks--the parable of the different types of soil. Specifically, the hard soil. You can't plant a thing in that stuff. I know. I have spent many an hour recently trying. It took a LOT of work to dig it up, break it up, tear it up, until it was softened and prepared to receive anything.

Makes me wonder how the Lord has blistered His hands preparing me to receive truth He has planted in me. I know what I had to do to make that soil soft--it took a beating, for sure! Digging, prying, the whole nine yards.

It talks a lot in scripture about people hardening their hearts toward Him. I feel like am gaining a deeper understanding of what that means, and what it takes to break up that hardness. I want to have a tender heart toward Him--I don't want to endure the process it takes to undo a hardened heart!! Makes me want very much to be the good soil, that I might receive truth that can really take root in my heart, so that things of beauty might bloom there. :)