where'd all those weeds come from?

It was time. Way past time. I looked at my back yard with great horror at the mini-jungle of weeds that seemed to spring up overnight while I was busy with other things.

It happened so quietly, so subtly, so subversively. While I was looking the other way, the spring rains, warming weather and my lack of attention provided fertile ground for these nasty organic intruders. Admittedly, I'd actually seen them in earlier stages, poking their fuzzy heads just above the brickwork. Present but not menacing. Rooted but not a threat. At least not yet. No worries, I thought to myself. I'll handle their impact and curtail their spread easily. Piece of cake. I'll take care of it...tomorrow. Later. When it's more convenient. When I feel like it.

Aww, come on. Who was I kidding? It's never convenient. I never feel like it. Tomorrow is always just that. I'd failed to take care of my back yard because I'd spent so much time taking care of other issues, other items, other opportunities. And some days I'd come home and just not feel like working at it...so I didn't.

It made me think about my own life, and how easy it is to get caught up with other people and their issues, getting involved in lots of good causes, showing concern for the back yards of others. Sometimes at the expense of my own. It just seems easier to help somebody else with his or her situation, while letting my own circumstances slide, just get by, or become overgrown with life's weeds. And what good is it if I help everyone else clean up their mess, but end up caught in my own?

Last Saturday was the day of reckoning. I clothed myself with items whose appearance I knew would be forever altered, grabbed my heavy duty weed whacker (thanks, Paul D.), a shovel, trash can and Tiger Balm (OK, that came later), told my wife that if she didn't hear from me in a couple hours to bring the machete and come searching, and headed out to do what I should've been doing all along the way. I didn't finish everything on that day, but after a few minor skirmishes with the enemy and a lot of effort, I reclaimed my back yard. Now to get to the finishing touches before I have to start all over...

Helping others is what we're designed for. It's part of our privilege with each other. But make sure that as you get involved with others' needs, you keep the weeds knocked down in your own heart, your own family, your own back yard. The Apostle Paul reminded us in Galatians 6:1: "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted." Help others, but take care of your own place as you do it.

Otherwise, you may end up in deep weeds.