Weeds...

[Altonwoods]

Have you ever felt insignificant, Like a weed? Perhaps even a bit resentful at the thought of you're life being played out as a supporting role in someone else's

"big life"?

Perhaps your a frog who dreamed of being a prince...

Or maybe a plain old brick that wanted to become a great building!

The ugly duckling?

Many of us are inclined to see our ambitions as the problem. Reasoning that to act on the desire to rise above our apparent station in life is to choose to be openly discontented in our present circumstances. And the only "call" on our lives that we're aware of has to do with maintaining our status quo. Change is an uncertain thing and depending on the results of it, it can sometimes be looked upon by others as a vain manifestation of our selfcenteredness...and that's BAD!

Isn't it?

Blooming where we're planted is the key, if I'm just a brick then I must be the best brick possible!

If I'm a weed, I'll proudly and earnestly go about fulfilling Gods purpose for me!

That's the ticket, forget about being a flower and just get happy!

After all, wherever you go, there YOU are!

If you weren't happy as an ugly duckling then becoming a swan won't solve your problem!

will it?

I believe it to be a very true statement that there is nothing so common in this world as men with God given talent and intellect. That they literally walk the streets, sleeping under bridges and in alleys.

"Well that's crazy" you say, "how could that be, those people are bum's?"

I believe it's true because I've met them. It seems as though these men were at some point convinced that they were weeds, which is of course a lie. Everything in their lives beyond that point was merely
living down to the expectations that were placed upon them. That's not
to shift the responsibility off of them, how could they not eventually
come to know the truth? What could be more painful for them than to
live with a yearning in their soul's for the good and perfect will of
the Father in their lives instead of their own profoundly misguided
choices. Not to fret, our crafty enemy is ever ready to provide them
with his "answer". And so with the lie of "I'm a weed" firmly
implanted in their mind, and something to numb the pain, we can begin to
understand the helplessness and hopelessness that's expressed through
the circumstances of their lives.

As much of a believer in education as I am, I'm an even bigger fan of people with a vision that can inspire others to put aside their personal agenda's and start
bailing the knee deep water out of the boat we're all in! This
nation has jumped the track, they say that in order to get a train
back on the tracks after it derails you have to reverse it until you
get back to it's point of departure. How far back do you think that is?
I'm not as impressed by how many diploma's you may have on your wall,
or with the capital letters that follow after your name as much as I
am in knowing...

"Do you know how to fix this and can you make this thing work?"

It's always more cost efficient to take care of what we have than it is to repair or replace it. The investment that's made through providing education and protection from
harm to societies most vulnerable members is one that's made in
everyone's best interest. The real payoff isn't immediate, it's a long
term investment that societies make in their own future. It's an
investment that we've failed to make because our short-sighted
leadership stood by while our real collective wealth as a society was
plundered. It's would've been cheap to fix at one point, especially if
you give any credence to the sixteen to one exchange rate expressed
in the phrase,

"an ounce of prevention is worth a whole pound of the cure"

Those who's destiny it was to be the much needed missing elements of today's society were thwarted through various means. The holocaust of abortion, our unchecked nationwide epidemic of
drug/alcohol abuse, and the crown jewel of our undoing, the compromise
of the American family! It's a fairly common thing for men to take an
old rusty car and restore it, not just because they hope to turn a
profit from it but because they love doing it. How much more important
is doing "rehab" work with people? And rewarding, look at the return on
that investment in terms of the number of added hands being put
towards the successful outcome of our common cause.

They say that a weed is a plant man hasn't found a purpose or a use for yet, and that's probably the best reason I don't recommend looking to man for
your validation! God made man in His own image, so that means your not a
weed, and God does have a vitally important purpose for your
life! So if you're not a weed, who were you supposed to be? What part
of the solution were you intended to provide? When will you decide to
do whatever you can from this point on to make that happen? Where do
you belong? Why...why not?

You're not a weed, your significance is in the difference you can make in the lives of others who are perishing because of their need of what you have. That knawing feeling
in your gut is from you holding back what God sent with you into this
world. Have you had enough of Satan's lies, or are you going to let him
continue to steal from you? Is the life you're living the life that
God meant for you? How do you see the focus of your life and who's
glorified by it? If it's not God, then friend you have a sin problem!
And that's a very bad thing,

I'll tell you why...

Inside your heart,a still small voice, is calling out to you.

But it's very easy to ignore, and do the things you do.

Just don't ever wonder why Your life is filled with pain,

or why things never do work out as long as you remain

The one who's will is served by the living of your life.

This is not the purpose, it's the product of your strife.

He said that if we'd be His people, He would be our Lord.

And that the battle has been won,

we don't need to lift the sword.

A life that's lived to honor God really blesses you.

So just let go of all your sin

and thank the Lord it's true!

From my book of poetry, "Something To Read Besides The Walls"