The Thing About Weeds by Shara Bueler-Repke

Show me Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day. (Psalm 25:4-5 NKJV)

When I was a kid, one of my jobs was pulling weeds. And, boy, did we have a lot of them! I think every species of weed God ever created lived on our place. Some of them pulled up quite easily. (I liked those kinds.) Others just needed a little tug.

But there were those that rose triumphantly out of their hard soil, defiantly challenging me to give it my best shot. Mustard weeds. They hated me as much as I hated them— their pretty little yellow flowers belying what they truly were! These kept me from what I really wanted to do—ride my horse, swim in the pool, play in the stream—the good life! So, I set about devising ways to quickly unearth them from their resistant soil.

My first introduction to this ominous task was a comical one indeed. I grabbed ahold of the top of the weed and heaved with everything I had, putting my whole-body weight into it (which wasn’t much at eight years old). Suddenly the little flowers, stems, and all gave way and rifted through my fingers like a slick rope, sending me sprawling on my backside. Flopped on my fanny in the dirt, I opened my hand. Yellow petal remnants and green stems were all I had to show for my labor.

Undaunted, I figured I’d get a little smarter. I know what I’ll do. I’ll grab a little closer to the root! The process repeated itself, only with more grunting and growling. This particular process, however, yielded less “fruit” than the previous one—the stems and flowers didn’t even come off.

Desperate now, I chose the next trick up my sleeve (albeit a devious one). I’ll just whack off the top of that thing with a hoe—close enough to the ground so you can barely see it. (OK, well, then kick dirt over the top to really cover it.) I figured, however, there could be another type of pain in my backside if I didn’t cease and desist this practice. (Yeah, my dad’s pretty smart!)

Stumped and annoyed, I stormed to my dad and whined, “Those stupid weeds can NOT be pulled out!” My dad probably chuckled inside, but he never let it show. He knew exactly how to get rid of them. In fact, the solution was so simple, it took no time at all.

The solution? Water. We soaked the ground around the root and, little by little, the water saturated the dirt. I then gripped the weed by the base and pulled it up and out with relative ease.

As I thought about my childhood weed escapades, I reflected on my life and the decisions I made regarding the “weeds of life.” Oh, how I wish I would have asked the Lord His opinion in my situations— His wisdom—instead of running off with my own brilliant conclusions. Many times, I whacked off the top of the problem, but never got to the root of what caused it. And, of course, in time, the issue (head of the weed) came up again because the root was still there. (Proverbs 14:12; Isaiah 48:17; Hebrews 10:19-23)

As I contemplated the water solution to those mustard weeds, I remembered the verse in Ephesians 5 where God says He “cleanses us with the washing of water by the Word.” As I read the Bible and allow His words to saturate my soul, I’m finding that the hard places in my heart are being softened. (Ephesians 5:25-27)

I’ve also discovered the reason I wanted to make my own decisions. I had a trust issue. This issue was the head of the “weed.” And the root of that weed? Fear.

I finally understood 1 John 4:18 and “perfect love casts out fear.” I’m learning the more I focus on my relationship with Him (reading His Word, letting His Spirit guide my thoughts and actions, talking to Him and asking Him questions, etc.), the more my trust in Him builds. That trust is developing into love for Him and a revelation of His perfect love— His unconditional love. (Proverbs 3:5-6; Lamentations 3:24-25)

My trust in Him has grown to the point where I can ask Him David’s scary question: “Lord, if there be any wicked way in me, please tell me,” and not be afraid of the proverbial lightning bolt. He’s definitely gracious and kind to a penitent heart! (Psalm 139:23-24)

Day by day, I’m letting my opinion get lost in His. Contrary roots are disappearing, setting me free, and bringing His amazing peace—the good life. (Galatians 5:1)

Day by day, I’m letting my opinion get lost in His. Contrary roots are disappearing, setting me free, and bringing His amazing peace—the good life. (Galatians 5:1)

On a broader scale, Jesus is not only interested in dealing with the contrary individual roots in our lives. He is also targeting the perverse roots that have invaded our beloved nation. The wicked we see: corrupt leaders, election fraud, Critical Race Theory, abortion issues, homosexuality issues, Covid issues, violence, attacks on religious freedom, and on and on are, believe it or not, the heads of weeds, not the roots. Jesus is targeting the roots.

And there will be an uprooting, a shaking like we’ve never seen. The deep roots of evil will be torn up and the dirt’s going to fly. Brace yourself—it’ll be intense!

But this is a good thing as God has heard His peoples’ penitent and urgent prayers, and He is moving to cleanse this nation, bringing her back to Him. The outcome will be awesome!

Be encouraged. The promise of refuge and peace in the storm is ours if we keep our eyes on Jesus, listening to and obeying His Holy Spirit in everything, roots included, both physical and spiritual. (Psalm 91).

Shara Bueler-Repka

Shara Bueler-Repka is enjoying life as a singer/songwriter/recording artist, freelance writer, and award-winning author. She and her husband, Bruce, live in their living quarters horse trailer and call “home” wherever their rig is parked. Their mail-base, however, is Hallettsville, Texas. She loves sharing God’s Word through music with her husband, riding their horses (aka The Boys) in the backcountry, and writing about God’s grace in their various adventures on the trail less traveled. Join the fun and be encouraged on their website: www.ponyexpressministry. com, her blog: https://lifeonthetraillesstraveled.wordpress. com/, or come for a visit on Facebook or Faith Social.