Garden Plots

Gardens have flowers and vegetables and things that we want to thrive there.  And gardens have weeds of unknown origin that meander with strategy to complicate their extrication and enhance their strength.  Weeds thrive despite our aversion to them and our efforts to eradicate them.  Often, it seems the weeds are more robust, showing up early and easily, while the good things -- the blossoms we desire, the fruit we'll tend and harvest -- make us struggle and wait for their bounty.

I read a story recently about a man in the 1940/s who created a scenario ( a prank, really) that exposed embedded racism and displayed its error and hypocrisy.  Reports of his "experiment" brought kudos from newspaper editors, those fighting segregation, and those who suffered from it.  And one fellow said to this man, "It will take one hundred years to see the good you've done, but you'll see the evil real soon."  So true: along with the congratulations came repercussions of a sinister sort.

Abraham was given a promise that he would be a great blessing to this world, and God would greatly increase his numbers. (Genesis.  You can begin at chapter 12, but take a good look at chapter 17, 1-8). This promise would be fulfilled in the future: there would be generations, and nations, that came from this man's covenant with God.  But, Abraham wasn't gonna see it. He was going to be struggling, and moving like a vagabond without a country, and facing enemies and spiteful women and dishonest men, and die before his descendants outnumbered the stars in the sky. It would take decades, even centuries, before the good in that promise was fulfilled...but the evil came about real soon.

Get a good thing started, and its likely you'll face opposition.  Those who are opposing you might think they've got the good idea, and you are the rotten apple ready to spoil their pie! Suggest a change (for the better, in your estimation), and those happy with the status quo will take offense.  Your idea may eventually make things better, but it may take one hundred years.  And there you are, struggling with the weeds that choke the blossoms.

Though cliche, it is true that people want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Joining the big thing after its been successful is an easy choice: initiating that "thing" when it is still small takes courage, conviction, and patience.  Oh, and really good friends, who keep their hope in you despite your faltering steps and occasional whining.

Keep breathing, keep moving, keep on.  The "evil" -- the nay-sayers and joy-takers -- may show up real soon, but if there's good to be had, it's worth the effort.

Just be sure your motives are sincere...more on that later.