While walking our dog with my husband at a local park the other night, this image caught my eye and I had to go back and take a picture of it. I am fascinated by the image. It, of course, is a thistle (a Bull Thistle to be exact). It is quite stunning and unique to look at but not something I would want to touch as it’s leaves and stem are covered in thorns. I was intrigued enough to do a little research and found that thistle are extremely difficult to get rid of once established. Obviously they would be painful to the touch to pull out but they also put out massive vertical and horizontal root systems. The vertical root is hard to pull out completely but the horizontal roots take up all the surrounding area and choke out anything else that is trying to grow.

Once I read about the root systems my mind began to fire on all levels and I began to see that it was the Holy Spirit that caught my eye and sent me back to take a picture of that thistle. Thistles and thorns are often connected and used interchangeably in Scripture. In Matthew 13:7, Jesus is in the middle of a parabolic teaching moment about sowing seed when He says, “Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants” (NIV). Thistle! In the same chapter Jesus is still hammering home His teaching and tells another parable, the Parable of the Weeds. In this parable Jesus is talking about the kingdom of heaven being like wheat that a farmer plants in a field. At night after the farmer has finished planting this good crop an enemy comes and plants weeds among the wheat. When the wheat grows, the weeds grow with it and when the farmer tries to pull out the weeds he pulls out the good wheat with it. Thistle!

Jesus is warning us, His followers, of the pitfalls, potholes, and poop the enemy is throwing our way and into our minds and hearts side by side with the fantastic crops God is growing. We’ve got to tend our fields regularly. When you notice the beginning of a thought, feeling, or action that doesn’t belong inside of you you’ve got to pull it out. Unfortunately we too often get distracted with other things and don’t like to do the constant and vigilant work required for healthy fruit to grow. Have you ever noticed when you have freshly mown your grass and wake up the next day the weeds have already grown higher than the grass? Weeds grow fast. Yep, let me say that again, weeds grow fast. The ones in your yard/gardens and the ones in the soil of your mind and heart.

If you aren’t tending your heart and mind, you may turn around one day and see that purple puff rising above the rest, with thorny leaves and stalks, and a wide and deep root system. The weed/thistle/problem can still be removed but only with a lot of effort and personal cost. Jesus has His seed-bag on and is throwing out so much great seed into your life through lots of sources. Don’t let the weeds take up all the soil and nutrients of your heart and mind. Pull out what doesn’t belong before the roots ever have a chance to form!