It was a satisfying experience to pluck dandelions last week. I got on my knees—as if I was pleading for God’s help—and took them out, one by one. It was an hour and a half process. Most of the dandelions were completely uprooted. Not bad, considering that I didn’t have the proper tools but for my bare hands, sweat, and garden rake. By the end, the lawn looked really nice. A beautiful property made the labour worthwhile.

Plucking weeds, like any casual chore, can prompt us to prayerful reflection. Thoughts sprung up while uprooting the dandelions. As you’ve read here at Lead Your Life, we write what impacts us. Here are a few things that dandelions taught me about the spiritual life:

Weeds can be mistaken for flowers. Have newcomers to Canada thought that dandelions are beautiful? If they looked closely, would they have quickly realized it’s a weed? Sometimes vice is mistaken for virtue on first impression.

The weeds grow among the plants and flowers. I wondered why God created dandelions. God gently reminded me that He permits the bad to grow along with the good (see Matthew 13:24-30). We ought to focus on ourselves first to preserve our peace of heart. We can’t control the behaviours and actions of others. Influence, yes, but not control.

It takes effort to uproot the weeds. It’s not easy to get them out. If we’re still alive, it’s because the Lord has unfinished business with our soul. The Sacraments, prayer, fellowship, accountability, and most of all, God’s free grace, are all needed to remove sin from our lives.

Weeds grow back if we don’t pluck from the root. In our quest for virtue, a necessary step involves getting rid of vice. We must strike at the very core of our vices in order to get away with them. Regular confession is the tool that mercifully burns them away and gives us a new start.

Flowers will have more space to grow once the weeds are removed. Weeds take up space, especially in the garden. But when removed, there is a greater place for flowers to be planted. It takes work to remove sin and it also takes work to plant good habits. The key question is: what are we growing?

Weeds spread, but so do plants. Whether it’s vice or virtue, they have a ripple effect. Vice is contagious. Virtue is inspiring. There isn’t something more attractive and beautiful than holy joy. Spread charity.

Lawn care is a nice hobby for the summertime. I’m reminded that the natural life reflects the spiritual life. Hopefully these truths can help us recognize and be aware of God’s work in our lives. His grace builds on our nature: if we uproot those weeds in our lives, or better yet allow God the true gardener to make our soul orderly and wonderful, our interior life will resemble a nicely kept lawn. It will be a reflection of God’s order, beauty, and goodness.

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