Neglected

I must say, because of this heat, the labyrinth has really been neglected – or so I thought.

It was an ordeal to push past, under and through all that had grown up around it. The gate was covered, weeds everywhere – what a mess!

And then I got thru – it is lovely! The bamboo is growing like crazy, blooms on the duranta and lots of new growth on the sego palm.

God’s like that, ya know. We can “neglect” our lives with Him, but that doesn’t mean He has neglected anything. HE is faithful ~ always. In our “neglect”, He is growing new things for our next steps and moving paths so we can see and learn afresh.

Before I went outside today, one of my scripture verses this morning was Proverbs 14:4

Without oxen a stable stays clean,
    but you need a strong ox for a large harvest.

I guess it doesn’t sound like much on the face of it. I mean, don’t know about you, but there are no large, lumbering oxen in my back yard….but as usual, walking in the breeze today got me to thinking.

We can all work to get things neat and tidy from our perspective, of course. 

We can focus our energies on terrific, God serving projects from our perspective. 

We can organize our lives in order to have a “clean stable” from our perspective. 

But life isn’t clean, it is messy. Relationships are messy, circumstances get difficult, perspectives get skewed.

That’s where God comes in….He’s the ox. That might not be a real reverent way of putting it, but He is! God has promised to do all the heavy lifting in our lives. He has things for us to do, people to engage with….souls to touch, but if we’re soooo busy avoiding things in order to keep a clean stable, we can miss the harvest He intended.

Humans are satisfied with whatever looks good;
    God probes for what is good.

Proverbs 16:2 ~ The Message Version

The world is great at keeping us busy. It disguises things as good, or maybe they are really good, but we can pile on too much of a good thing...like ice cream, but don’t tell my dad I said that! 

Neglect of our spiritual life, of our centered/focused walk with the Lord happens, most often when we’re busy. We neglect our own soul’s growth and we’re not even aware of it.

 

Like these new bamboo pushing up from under rocks and growing/forming to the rays of the sun everyday, that’s not my harvest….it is His. 

Remember, I have neglected to come out ‘cuz it was too hot, but He tended to His creation just fine without me. I would have missed seeing it, missing thanking Him for it if I hadn’t come outside for just a while this morning. We can trust Him with the heavy lifting, with the relationships that are difficult. And we can always, always lift up our neglected stable and thank Him for the harvest He will provide in it.

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
    and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
    and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8 ~ New Living Translation