Weeding the Thought Garden

I remember working in the garden when I was a kid; hoeing the row, planting seeds, watering, pulling weeds, picking off tomato worms, picking green beans and detassling corn. It's all part of bringing in a healthy harvest. My niece and nephew agree that only vegetables from Grandma's garden have real taste! Any gardener knows that a garden isn't worth planting if he/she isn't willing to cultivate it.

And we know that our thoughts and words are like seeds. When we cultivate those seeds, eventually, we will reap a harvest of what we have planted. If we plant good seeds, we get a good harvest. If we plant bad seeds, we reap that too. And bad thoughts are like weeds which choke out good thoughts. Another old proverb says, "let no root of bitterness spring up among you."(Deut.31)

I was reminded again to check my thoughts and my words. The Bible says that whatever is true or reality, whatever is honest, whatever is just or right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely; if anything is praiseworthy, think about these things (Phil 4:8). It also says that we have power in our words...not like some kind of magical ju-ju, but that what we think about, we speak. And what we speak has the power of life and death.

When was the last time you made someone's day by what you said? Or the last time someone paid you a compliment or just told you how much they appreciated you? Positive words can boost our whole day! Og Mandino said it best when he wrote, in The Greatest Salesman in the World, "never will I scratch for reasons to gossip. Always will I dig for reasons to praise." Our words can turn people on or they can turn people away.

I guess it's time for some daily weeding in my life. Out with the negative thoughts and in with the good seeds! This is one habit I can't afford not to cultivate. Good seeds begin with gratitude: purposely focusing on the things for which I am grateful like new beginnings, a roof over my head, family, happy dogs, and an opportunity for a new job!