Daily writing prompt

What’s the most delicious thing you’ve ever eaten?

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A carefully cultivated flower garden has no weeds or unhealthy plants. It abounds with stunning beauty. The same ground left unattended becomes a thicket of invasive thorns, thistles, and other destructive undergrowth.

The human heart is the same. Left unattended it accumulates ugly and unhealthy thoughts, feelings, desires, and attitudes, but when continually weeded and cultivated it becomes a radiant reflection of love, joy, and peace. Why is that?

We live in a beautifully and intricately designed world that has been invaded by evil. That invasion has released forces that strive to distort and destroy all that is good in nature and all that is virtuous and respectful in people. Those forces frequently generate bad weather, storms, and harvest destroying weeds and insects in nature. They also stir up bad emotions, chaos, and happiness-defeating attitudes in human minds and hearts.

People can resist those dominating forces that operate to pervert both nature and human nature. A flourishing garden and a person who radiates godliness both demonstrate the power of persistent resistance to destructive forces.

I planted a small vegetable garden once and quickly tired of working in it. It didn’t take long for it to become a jungle. The only thing I got out of that idea to start a garden was an ugly and depressing area in my back yard.

The same thing happens in human hearts and minds. We realize that we can improve our inner health, so we take a first step in that direction. Then we get distracted, tired, or frustrated and once again surrender to self-destructive thoughts, desires, and behaviors.

All around the world people tend and tame nature creating farms, ranches, orchards, and vineyards — growing food to feed multitudes. We even turn dessert into fruitful fields. You can do the same within your heart. It begins with repentance, which is: 1) A vision of a better way to manage your heart and mind, 2) A passion to actively pursue it day by day, and 3) the persistence to never give up.

If you are willing to work to mow your yard and improve your property, why not put intentional effort into improving your thoughts, feelings, desires, and emotions? Begin now and never stop.