Dedication to transformation

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

On August 11, 2021, I moved to my new home and began a yearlong undertaking to transform my yard. As someone who craves time in God’s majestic creation, I knew I wanted a place where I could sit, worship, and feel close to my Creator. While I loved the house I bought, the yard lacked the beauty and design I craved. I knew it would take a lot of work, but the potential was there. I saw the space as a blank canvas in need of artistic development. 

Several of the changes to my property required professional assistance. I had the vision, but I also knew my limits. An old rusted shed with a decayed floor needed to go. A dilapidated and poorly constructed fence required replacement. Large bushes and palms needed to be moved, and a screen porch needed to be built. I could see the end product in my head, but I couldn’t bring it into existence without contractual help. 

But above and beyond the skilled labor I hired, one project I planned to undertake was removing all the accumulated yard waste that the previous owner had dumped behind my fence. A roughly 15-by-6-foot space was piled high with hewn logs, palmetto fronds, and various assorted plant debris. I saw the section as an eyesore and snake haven. Neither could exist in my world. 

Further, my placid treescape was overrun with wicked, thorny vines that obscured the area’s natural beauty. While I had several contractors willing to help me remove the rubbish, their exorbitant fees were more than what I was willing to pay for a job I could do myself. 

And so I began my quest. Like a knight hacking his way through a thorny forest to reach his fairy tale princess, I started cutting, heaving and hauling my way through the jungle that was this space. Vines stretching 10 feet in circumference and 40 feet up into the trees slowly surrendered their hold beneath my dedicated labor. Each time I found a tree trunk, I’d rejoice. Every 15-foot pile of debris removed made me happier. 

It wasn’t enough just to cut and discard the ugly growth. After clearing enough of a section to get a foothold, I used all my strength to pull down the vines wrapped around upper branches. Not content with what I could pull down, I climbed an extension ladder to reach over my head to prune the growth as far up as possible – praying that I wouldn’t fall off the ladder. Hour by hour, pile by pile, one weekend at a time, it took months to reclaim the natural beauty of this terrain. At the end of every weekend, I was exhausted but happy to see the progress I’d made. 

When the area was finally clear, I was stunned at the results. Previously invisible tree trunks now stretch skyward in majestic glory. A view I didn’t know I had now graces my yard with its beauty. 

Nevertheless, the work is far from done. The thorny growth continues to push forth from its below-ground tubers. While I’ve cut off the heads, the bodies are very much alive, underground – so deeply embedded in each other that I can’t fully dig them out. 

Since completing my clearing project, I’ve now made it my mission to hack away at whatever protrudes forth. Beginning next winter, I will continue chopping the bulbs to try to uproot and kill them. For now, if I want to maintain my unencumbered view, I must commit to keeping it this way through dedicated, repeated labor. 

While cutting a path through the vines to unmask my trees, I considered how the devil works to plant, cultivate, and grow barriers to keep us from enjoying our salvation. We may not always appreciate the evil seeking to grab hold of our hearts and minds, but Satan does. Seeds of discontent, dishonesty, and despair can cripple our testimony and prevent us from growing in service to our Savior. We may not even be aware of the strength that roots of anger and anxiety are establishing in our soil until they have taken over, pulling us down and obscuring our ability to impact the world around us. 

It’s not easy to break through sin’s hold on our lives, but we can’t allow it to get a stronghold. Every one of us has the potential to become a new creation in Christ Jesus. Our mission should always be to stay rooted in Christ, grow in God’s goodness, and flourish in faith. If we’re not doing so, it may be time to look at what we’re allowing to grow around and in us. Cutting away whatever is holding us down is hard work – but the results are always worth the labor. 

We must equip ourselves with the armor of God to do so. Ephesians 6 tells us, “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (V. 13-17)

As Christians, the transforming power of God’s grace should be evident to everyone we encounter. If it’s not, we should examine our lives to determine what is keeping it hidden. It’s a continual job to keep the devil’s vines from growing and overpowering us, but one that each of us is capable of committing to, in Christ. 

If we are devoted to God’s labor, the results He will produce will be more beautiful than any of us can ever imagine.