I remember a childhood experience that is vivid in my memory
My mother was a very practical woman, always working to make sure everything was in the perfect order a well maintained home and hobby farm should be.
I was much happier curled up with a book than I was doing household chores. Although I wanted to please my Mom, too often I ended up with another miserable failing mark against me.
I remember one summer day my Mom took me out to her large vegetable garden and showed me a long row of vegetable seedlings that stood maybe 3 inches tall in company with weeds just as tall fighting for space. My Mom told me to pull out all the weeds leaving the seedlings with room to thrive in the warming sun and rain.
I thought, "okay, I can do this. I will do such a good job, Mom will be impressed." And crouching down, I began to pull out all the weeds. It was a long row, but finally I reached the end of it and I stood up to look down a straight clean row of seedlings. It looked so good.. and I ran to call Mom happily expecting her praise.
She came to the garden and as I looked up into her face, I knew something was terribly wrong! Understandably, she was angry and I got the tongue lashing I deserved.
Yes, I had left a very neat garden row - but of weeds - all vegetable seedlings were gone.
As I visited that memory, I thought about the verse in Isaiah 64:6 that says that all our righteous acts are as filthy rags. No matter how hard we try to please God in the flesh, it will never be enough to win His approval. And yet, amazingly, He loved us while we were yet sinners and He died to save us.
We come to Him with nothing to show but a 'row of weeds'. Wonder of wonders, instead of the 'tongue lashing' we deserve, He reaches out to embrace us in His love and forgiveness and in exchange for our 'weeds' covers us with His righteousness.
How blessed we are to pause at this Easter season to remember His love and sacrifice that cost Him so much to gain everything for us!
He is risen, so we too can rise to new life and righteousness in Him !
