Dear Church Family,

As we continue to check items off our project punch list, I have been excited to see the new sod take root in front of the Atrium. After months of dreaming, construction, and the inevitable delays, the mud that surrounded the new building has given way to a sea of green grass. It is amazing how something as simple as new grass can make the whole entrance look and feel different. It feels finished!

But the other day, as I was looking over that beautiful sea of green, I noticed something odd. Right there in the middle of the new yard was one little clump of newly sprouted clover. I was puzzled and thought to myself, “Where in the world did that come from?” 

The rest of the newly sodded yard is clean. It is beautiful green grass, without weeds. So how did that one little patch of clover get there?

At first, I could not figure it out. Then it finally dawned on me. We have quite a bit of clover growing in some of the other grassy areas around the church property. Most likely, a small clump of grass clippings from another part of the yard had fallen off the mower deck as it passed over the new sod. That little clump most likely contained just enough clover seed to take root.

That is all it took.

One small clump. One unnoticed deposit. One random clod containing a few seeds, and the next thing you know, one has unwelcomed weeds.

I was reminded of the parable Jesus told in Matthew 13 about a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat. The field had been planted with good seed, but something destructive was introduced into the soil. And once it was there, it began to grow.

That little patch of clover reminded me how careful we must be to guard not only our yard, but our hearts.

Most of the “weeds” in our lives will not arrive intentionally, but rather stealthily. They come as things that attach themselves to us in our journey in this world. A negative conversation that we refused to excuse ourselves from, that careless habit we refuse to address, the grudge we refuse to let go of, or that unhealthy influence we just can’t seem to eliminate.   These little compromises coagulate on life’s mower deck and distribute themselves randomly throughout the yard of our soul.  

At first, it may seem small and harmless, but if it finds a place to take root, it begins to grow.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” That is not a call to fearful isolation, but to faithfulness, soul-stewardship. We belong to Christ, and by His grace, He calls us to bear good fruit, not weeds. With this in mind, we must pay attention to what we allow to settle into the soil of our hearts.

The new grass in front of the Atrium is beautiful, and we want to care for it well. But far more importantly, we must tend to the ground of our souls with meticulous care. 

Ask the Lord to show us what does not belong. Let’s be quick to pull up bitterness, pride, and spiritual compromise before they spread. May the good seed of God’s Word take root in us, producing a harvest that brings glory to Him.

Loving you all, 
Michael