Pulling Weeds

My friend Karen, who is wonderful for many many reasons, came over the other day to help me pull weeds from my flower beds.  She is a master at landscaping, beating me at tennis, and encouraging everyone who knows her.  A blessing, for sure.  While we picked we talked about our dreams and fears for our kids.  Both of us have heavy hearts and big questions for each of our kids right now and it seemed right to share those while we dug in the dirt under a bright Texas sun.  When we did as much as we could do without a weed eater or mower, we stood together with dirt and sweat between us and prayed out loud for our kids and for each other as moms.  Then we wiped our tears, hugged, and rushed off to what was next.
One of my favorite things about being a Christian is this beautiful reality that other people love my kids, and help Doug and I point them to embracing in FULL the love of God. Besides Karen and her prayers, Pam and Berwyn have done that each Sunday this year during Sunday School and other times they pour their deep kindness into their little flock of 5th graders.  I swear one of the reasons we moved here was for our twins to spend an hour or more a week with these two real-life saints.

I find myself praying this for the twins often...that they will be sharpened by others (Prov. 27:17) - teachers, family, friends, coaches, etc. who love them and help them pull the weeds out of the gardens of their thoughts, dreams, plans (Phil.1:27).  People who will help them be like big trees planted by rivers of living water who bear fruit (Psalm 1:1-3) and thrive, with deep roots (Col.2:7) that hold them steady and strong.
I need them and so do the twins.  There are only so many weeds 2 hands can pull.