Today I say Thank you

Today I say thank you
for all you have done
I say thank you
for the gift of your son

Without you I would be lost
forever in the black
without you I would be laying
at the end of the track






Thank you for your love
and your every present moment.
Thank you for your grace and
for never giving up on me

I need you, Lord, every day
every second, I need you Lord

Thank you Lord for all you do
thank you Lord for all you don't do
and thank you Lord for whatever your going to do!

The Parable of Weeds among the Wheat

Weeds                                                                                                 Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

The Parable of Weeds among the Wheat

²⁴ He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; ²⁵ but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. ²⁶ So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. ²⁷ And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ ²⁸ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ ²⁹ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. ³⁰ Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

Jesus Explains the Parable of the Weeds

³⁶ Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” ³⁷ He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; ³⁸ the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, ³⁹ and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.⁴⁰ Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, ⁴² and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears^[a] listen!

Tell me it isn't so.  I’m not really a weed am I?  Well, sometimes I am because sometimes my flesh wins and righteousness doesn't.  That is why I so thankful for His grace and mercy.  Jesus talks about leaving the weeds among the good seed, he doesn't ask for us to judge the bad seeds but instead live among them.  Who are we to think we are the good seed ALL the time.  I can strive for righteousness, and I do, but there are those moments where I trip and fall and catch myself in sin.  I am no surprise to God.  The parable of the weeds is about God leaving judgment to Him and Him alone.  There are approximately 7 billion people on this planet and each and every one of us is a treasure to Him.  He loves each of us equally.  He may be more pleased with some more than others, but he loves us equally.  Yes, my name is Darla and I've been a very bad seed (weed) and I've been a good seed.  I strive for more good than bad, but that’s because I love Him so much I want Him to be pleased with me. 

There isn't anything scarier than a Christian who judges another Christian.  Or worse yet, judging an unbeliever.  How can we expect people who don’t have the relationship we do (or love for) God to be able to righteous when they don’t have the Holy Spirit helping them (like we do).  Oh, how I like to take credit for my righteousness.  I get no credit. I know who I was before.  Before Christ I was a feather blowing in the wind, with some universal truths I’d learned along the way.  “Success principles” only get you so far.

High minded Christians have always been a turn off to me.  I remember one high school friend telling his friend I had “gone to seed”.  Well, let’s see, I was 20 years old, I wasn't raised by Christian parents (like him), who was he to make a judgment about me? What he didn't realize is that I didn't want to be a Christian if it meant you went around judging and putting people in "good seed and bad seed boxes".  What would of happened if he had inspired me, coached me, shared with me God’s truth instead of throwing me in the “bad seed box”?  But, you know, he was only 20 too, so what did he really know either.  I forgive him. 

Thank you Jesus for not allowing the good seeds to “pull me out”, thank you for allowing me to learn, grow and have a chance to be one of the good seeds.  I thank you for my life and all the good things you’ve allowed me to be a part of.  I surrender every part of my being to your service.  Use me for your good as I know I am not here to serve my flesh but to bring glory to You alone!  Amen.