What’s growing in your mind?

I walked outside yesterday to glorious sunshine and the world smiling in flowers.  The tulips had their best lipstick on in shades of purple, yellow, and flaming red.  And then there were the weeds.  So.Many.Weeds.  Here’s the funny thing.  We didn’t plant them.  But we do let them grow.  We also didn’t plant the beautiful tulips either but they came with the house and were a surprise the first year we lived here.

It made me stop and consider.  What’s growing in our thought gardens?  Thoughts pop into our heads all day long.  We either water them or pull them out.  There isn’t much neutral ground.  (Yet the ground does matter.  If we fertilize the ground things will grow better but either way if there is water and some sun things will grow.)

What will you allow to grow today in your mind?  Will you let the weeds take root?  Will you water the negative, ugly, anger, frustration, disgust, and other miserable thoughts?  Weeds grow easily.  It takes work to keep them out of any garden and our minds are no different.  We can dwell on them or we can tell them to leave.  But dirt isn’t too pretty either.  So if you’re going to take something out and something is guaranteed to grow there why not plant beautiful things?

There’s so many things these days that say to think positively and it will change your life.  While I’m not into the whole “just be happy deal and think that it will fix everything” I do believe that what we choose to listen to, dwell on, and tell ourselves matters.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8

We don’t always get to pick what enters our minds but we do get to choose if it will stay.  Here’s the thing though, pulling weeds isn’t fun or easy.  You can’t just pull off the heads of the flowers you have to get the root.  Getting the weeds when they are small or first pop up is easiest but the longer you let them sit the harder they are to pull and then they multiply.

Here’s some really beautiful news though.  Remember those tulips I mentioned, the ones we didn’t plant?  Well someone else took the time to plant them.  Now today my family and others who walk by get the enjoyment of them.  The same goes for the encouraging and beautiful words we say to others (and ourselves).

We can plant beautiful things.  We can leave them for others to benefit from.  Your words may even lie dormant for some time just like our tulips do each winter.  Yet, every spring we are surprised again by them.  Maybe your encouragement to someone won’t help today (although I’m sure it won’t hurt!) but it may spring up in their minds some day down the road right when they are walking down a place that’s not too pretty and needs some beauty.  Isn’t that amazing.  You can plant little seeds of grace, love, and beauty wherever you go.  I hope you do!

There’s an important word in that verse, the word practice.  Practice means you do it over and over and over.  Practice is the repetition of an action.  What will you practice today?  Will you practice encouragement or doubt?  Will you practice joy or frustration?  Will you practice grace or condemnation?  What will you allow to grow in your thought garden?  Are there some weeds you need to pull up by the roots?  Are there some spring flowers you need to water?  Friend, I hope your garden is filled with the most beautiful and lovingly cared for thoughts today.

Please “sow and plant” some encouraging thoughts for others to read in the comments below and then text a friend what you shared with us!