April 1, 2009
“My whole being follows hard after you and clings closely to you; your right hand holds me up.” Psalm 63:8
I’ve always had a love for old ivy covered houses. The clinging greenery reminds me of the historical romance novels that I grew up enjoying. Wistful, cozy, inviting, comfortable…lived in. So when I moved into our home in an older section of Carmichael, I was delighted with the ivy that draped over the side fence and covered the majority of our front yard. Well, there’s something I won’t have to mow, I thought happily.
However, the ivy in the back yard seemed a bit well, menacing. It seemed to encroach on my space! Yes, this persistent plant had also covered the most of the south and west fence and, in some places, had grown out into the lawn about 12 feet from the fence burrowing under the grass. In the last year, I’ve come to find out that ivy is considered one of the most insidious, pervasive plants in the United States.
Our ivy had taken over a several planting beds and the iris, daffodils, grape vines, mandarin and pomegranate trees were drowning under the onslaught. Then there was the issue of the “things” hidden in the ivy. A neighbor mentioned rats and moles (YIKES!) and my own personal experience has turned up children’s toys, golf balls, stepping stones, soda and beer bottles and cans, large landscape stones, not to mention mold, dust, other weeds, etc. The ivy just seems to be a black hole for trash……while looking ever green and inviting from the surface.
When my step-son, Drew expressed concern over the ivy that was creeping up the side of the house, I tended to agree. He found it scary and after the neighbor’s comments regarding rats and moles, I was more than anxious to clear out their possible cover. As I began ripping the ivy from the fences, the heavens seemed to open and my neighbors on either side sang my praises because the plants had also started creepy crawling over and under to find homes in their yards.
The most frustrating discovery in my endeavor to remove the ivy was the way that, every few inches, the ivy had attempted to root into either the fence, the tree or the ground looking, I’m sure, for both sustenance and security. It was determined to remain where it was. The process of pulling the ivy out is exhausting, frustrating and too often seemingly futile. Backaches, cramping hands, asthma attacks and sinus headaches were common place side effects of my efforts. In my frustration, Dave and I have discussed rotor-tillers, ground scrapers, poisons and dynamite. The ivy just doesn’t want to go away! My battle was an ongoing one since the ivy I’d thought I’d rid myself of last year seems to have sprouted little fledging vines to begin another onslaught into space something I thought was clear.
My experiences with ivy caused me to look at other aspects of my life. The ivy in my life has started innocently enough and I’m reminded of the phrases: “The trouble with trouble is it starts out as fun”, “Just once won’t hurt”, “It’s not that bad” and “Everyone’s doing it”
The television ivy that I’ve allowed it into my home has clogged my brain with must haves….food, clothing, new toys, trips and entertainment. The television shows encourage children to talk back to parents with disregard and lies, along with featuring feature wives that consider their husbands inferior and only to be tolerated. These series never reflect any Christian values that I can see and always leave me with frustration of wanting more. The same holds true for what I’ve read in the past, listened to and surfed. Ahhh, the internet—amazing and entertaining—yet subtly creeping into our lives with an alarming draw towards information, but what kind of information? The internet is definitely place to lose valuables—a sense of time, sense of reality, a sense of morality and contentment. Worse still is the ivy of my thoughts:
• One bite won’t hurt; it’s just a few more dollars;
• It’s just a couple of minutes;
• It’s only a post-it, pen, paper pad;
• He/she is doing it
• I’ll stop before/when/or if.
Yes, the lies I’ve told myself are the ivy of my mind creeping in until God’s purpose for me is completely lost under the green, lush covering of doubts, fears, half-truths, bad decisions, anger, resentment and selfishness and addiction.
I started pulling ivy with vengeance in October 2008. I began with a full fledge three week assault of God’s Word, prayer and encouraging friends, not realizing that the process would be just like trying to keep the ivy in my yard at bay. It would take diligence, perseverance, focus and a daily investment of prayer, using the Word/sword and confession. The confession part is the toughest, but also the most rewarding. That’s been the life changing result of Celebrate Recovery in my life. Confession to me is ripping the roots out, clearing the garden of my mind for God’s planting of the gifts/flowers of the spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. I can see the flowers of roses (love), bird of paradise (joy) olive trees (peace) asters (patience), elderflower (kindness) baby’s breath (goodness/purity) violets (faithfulness) geranium (gentility) and gladiolus (strength of character).
I clearly see the ivy for what it is now…..sin that keeps trying to overrun the garden of God’s relationship with me. The ivy/sin will not win because God has already declared the victory; but that will not stop the sin/ivy from continuing it’s efforts to slow, choke and smother me….all under the pretense of “taking care of me” “just one bite won’t hurt” and “you deserve it”. I have finally allowed the Master Gardener to enter into the garden of my heart, mind and soul—to come along side me and his strength and ways are so much better than my feeble efforts. Working together, our garden will be a place of beauty, rest and peace….complete with Jesus and I having own hammock swing.
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