Plucking Grass Burrs!

One of my friends expressed concern about the line in the 23^rd Psalm that says, “He makes me lie down in green pastures”.  She said, “You know, I’m always afraid the field is going to be full of grass burrs.”  Well, let me assure you, the green pastures are always full of grass burrs.  Yes, God will provide for our every need.  The gifts are there waiting for us, but, it is up to us to overcome the painful grass burrs that prevent us from receiving and being the full blessing He wants for us.  It requires us to grit our teeth and pluck out all the pesky grass burrs that are causing us to limp through life.  

We all want to make things easy for ourselves, and those around us.  That's our human-ness and it's not always good.  It's not that God wants to watch us suffer, but, He is God, and He knows that it is in struggling that we become strong, like the caterpillar that struggles to free itself from the prison of it's own chrysalis. It is through the struggle that it becomes a beautiful butterfly, ready to ride the wind from flower to flower. The butterfly's fanciful flight ensures the circle of life, the new flowers feed many other species. God uses the gorgeous fruit of the butterfly's painful writhing to send ripples out into the world.

Without the struggle and transformation, the caterpillar would just remain a worm and no one would be helped. God has much bigger plans to use us than He does for the poor worm.  But to use us He cannot leave us in our useless weakness. His ways are not our ways. Rejoice in the struggle!