Controlling The Weeds Means Getting Rid Of Them. 5/17/2022

 Good Morning,

The day began a little later for me today. My body needed a serious recharge and so I slept a little bit longer today and then spent some time with our two dogs outside drinking a cup of Door County S'mores Coffee and watching the cars go by. 

Last night, before calling it quits for the day I had to tackle a project that should have been done weeks ago. A spot in our back yard was being over populated with thistles. I had tried pulling them out, but yet they just seemed to keep coming back. I would pull out a dozen and 15 more would return. This actually started last summer and I thought I had beaten the issue until this spring "There They Were Again" and stronger than ever. I don't like to use pesticides because of our two dogs. I had tried all of the so called tame solutions to no avail. So after running the dogs last night, I had to break out an "eco friendly pesticide" and give it a whirl. Time will tell if it works or not. But no matter what, the thistles have to go!

James 4:17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is a sin. 

However this does remind me of a lesson. People at times are too kind and do not see that they can be a detriment to others by not stamping out others in their lives who they continue to enable. For instance, knowing that a family member has a drug habit and then always giving them money "for food" instead of giving them the groceries enables the drug abuser or alcoholic money to support their habit. Having a teen in the house and not making them hold down a small job to have their own spending money, enables them to be lazy and learn to expect handouts. Now if that teen is struggling in school, but is devoting that time to studies it could be another story. That one example is a close call. No matter the studies though, home chores should be a must. And accountability goes with it. If you always jump into assist with the chores you are enabling laziness. Now and then when the teen is doing their best and life is swamping them and you want to help, do the chores with them and spend that time talking and showing them your love. 

Sometimes the best way to show love is the ability, desire and determination to say no. 

If not cut off, the promises made to the kind enablers just are like dust in the wind. It blows a lot and accomplishes nothing. The dust, becomes dirt and messes up a whole lot of area.  Knowing that you have to do this and not doing it is wrong. You are part of the problem and you are perpetuating a bad behavior that impacts others. It takes a strong family member, friend or coworker to take a stand and say "that's enough, no more" . You have to control the weeds before they take over and make things continually worse. 

So today if you need to cut off and destroy some "weeds taking root" in your circle of impact, learn to say no and mean it. You could be making things worse by enabling!

Food for thought. 

Marty