Dead Heading!

 Notice the curling viola flower in the middle of the picture right above my finger.  That is a flower that needs to be "deadheaded."  This is the process of diligently, and daily (preferably) taking a few moments to remove the flower blossoms that have bloomed and are finished.  This prevents the plant from giving wasted nutrients to a past-bloom blossom, enabling the nutrients to go towards new blossoms.  This is the one of the ways to ensure that your flowers bloom for optimal lengths of time.  Yes, fertilizer and soil, and water all play a part.  The interesting thing is that this takes only seconds if you keep after it every day.  And
                                                                                    every time I step outside my front door and stoop

to do this, I am reminded of the parallels to sin, or just finished things in my life.  If I am daily in the habit of confessing (deadheading) my sin then it doesn't take too much time, and it saves the vital force and nutrients from being poured into deadness, lifeless sin or past things that are done,  and directing them to cooperating with the Spirit of God in producing His fruit in me--fruit that lasts! (Jn. 15)  I love gardening and the lessons I have learned about life, God, and the way He works, about my own soul, about caring for others, probably number in the hundreds without exaggeration.  As with deadheading flowers it is a little piece of a big picture and it is tempting to think "oh, what difference does this make, its a small thing."  But it really does make a difference.  Each time I find myself justifying some "small attitude, thought or action" in my life, I know that it is the same thing.  No, it might not be big in the grand scheme of things, but if it saps or drains energy from the new things that God is afoot doing or wanting to do or blossom in me, it needs to go.  Sometimes it is the miniscule that gets us sidetracked.  The Bible says that it is the "little foxes that can ruin a field and the harvest."  What are those past-bloom blossoms in your life today?  They bloomed brilliantly a few days or months ago, but their time is past, and left on the plant of your life they are directing and wasting energy from current things God wants to do in and through you? Is there any sinful way in you that is draining energy, silently emptying you of vitality?