Weed or Flower?

There’s a weed in our backyard. It’s my favorite.

I don’t know how it got there, or what exactly it is. It may even be a flower.

And that got me thinking. We label stuff. Weed. Flower. Democrat. Republican. Fat. Thin. Important. Useless.

We label others and we label ourselves. And we let those labels dictate how we think and feel about ourselves and how we act toward others. Am I a flower? Is my life meaningful enough. Is my story beautiful or rubbish? And that weed over there is exactly what’s wrong with our country, no grace for them.

We worry about labels others have given us. Weed or flower. If I try and fail, will they label me a failure? If I believe I can, and don’t give up, will they label me haughty? If I do give up, will they label me a quitter?  It can be paralyzing.

But I had a few realizations.

A) I don’t care what kind of plant is in my backyard, I love it. It’s label doesn’t matter in the least.

B) It really  doesn’t matter in God’s eyes whether it’s a weed or a flower. Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” God’s word is what endures. If I keep my eyes on Jesus, I can see myself through the lens of His love. I can see others as He sees them too. Beautifully and wonderfully made. Not a flower. Not a weed. God’s masterpiece. 🙂