Sarah J shares her thoughts from a recent trip to China

On a trip to China earlier this year, visiting some friends and projects that help people with developing new skills, I ended up helping out on a farm doing some weeding. I am not a green fingers type so this was a challenge! Furthermore, I had joked with my church leaders before the trip that I didn't enjoy gardening and this resulted in an offer to do some weeding in my garden while I was away - a very kind offer indeed! So when I ended up weeding in China I thought this was all a bit ironic! My church leaders are weeding my garden in Stoke-on-Trent and I'm weeding in China. Although I got the pleasure of using a hole in the ground as a toilet - so I think they got the better deal!

The farm manager had commented that weeding is important because the area is quite dry and the weeds take nutrients from the crops. They were in need of the weeds being pulled out and the latter rains to come to ensure a good crop. So off we went to the fields with lovely gardening gloves on. Two things struck me about the weeds. Firstly they seemed to love growing right near the vegetable plants and taking the nutrients and secondly, they looked quite small from the surface but the roots went down real deep.

This got me thinking about people's lives. Often there are weeds in our lives that on the surface to others don't seem too bad, but they have deeper roots in our hearts affecting what we do, what we think and how we relate to others. For example, maybe someone has experienced rejection from others and there is a root of hurt there and fear of further rejection. Others may experience this in the way the person connects with them but they can't see the depth of the hurt. I wondered how much more healthy the person would be if the weeds were removed. What life would be like for them - would they be more open to love and relating with others? Would they be more approachable and friendly?

Jesus told some stories relating to farming. One story tells of seed falling among weeds and chocking the seed. Jesus explained that this was a picture of people hearing God's encouraging words but that the worries of this life choke out the encouragement. I can learn from this that weeds in our lives take away from the good things in our lives. Whether the weed be worry, bitterness, fear, rejection, hatred, anger, lust etc. If we were to weed our lives we'd be better off and would be able to grow stronger and healthier as people. Easier said than done?

I wonder whether it takes friends to help spot the weeds and help us to dig them out? I was helping my friends in China weeding and my church leaders were helping me with my garden. Are there friends in your life that you can trust with the keys to your heart to tenderly remove the weeds? When I was weeding I was also asking Jesus for help with His strength and wisdom in what I was doing. Wisdom to know which one's were the weeds and strength to pull them all out. Jesus makes an offer to us to be our friend and to help us through life. He is someone I can trust with the keys to my heart.

So I guess my challenge in all this is to look closely at your life, like a garden and do some weeding with Jesus and other trusted friends. My hope for you is that you will grow healthy and strong and all the nutrients in your life won't be choked, but will enable you to be all you can be and help you to relate well to others in life. After we finished weeding we were really excited when the latter rain came - an answer to prayer. With the weeds removed the crop has a great chance to grow healthy for others to enjoy the taste of good veg!