I would like to share a very inspiring article written by Chuck Keortge, someone I consider as my friend, father, mentor, teacher and counselor. I first met Chuck in Quito, Ecuador during the Leader Mundial Summit in 2007. He was Grace Chapel's Mission Pastor and although he retired a few years ago, he is always available to serve in whatever way he can. It is a great honor to know this great man of God.
More Fertilizer
by Charles Keortge June 2011
We are blessed to have a nice yard at our house. There are some very old almond trees, some newer pomegranate and apricot trees, a number of shrubs, iris, agapanthus, Italian Cyprus, roses, and, Linda’s pride and joy, a seedling palm, whose relative grows near by.
We also have some lawn and with the lawn comes its nemesis, dandelions. In Spanish the word for this weed is diente de leon. Roughly translated it means lion’s tooth. This seems appropriate since while the plant is quickly identified by its bright yellow bloom it is its sharply pointed leaves that cause me all the grief.
In other years and other times I have attacked this lion with a manual weeder, a lawn mower, a hoe, and assorted other remedies. I have even resorted to the fabled weed exterminator, Round Up. That stuff works really well. It also kills every other living plant in the area all the way to the roots if a careless sprayer is used for application.
We are also blessed by a long-time friend who has assisted us with our gardening for nearly ten years. Jaime is his name and he is a plant expert. He can plant, prune, irrigate, repair sprinklers, set sprinkler timers of all kinds, repair pipes and put in new pipes and, best of all, they all work well and don’t waste water.
Herein lies the conflict. Jaime earns his living by working in the gardens of other people. He does it everyday, six days a week. When I was the sole worker in our yard I gave little thought to using herbicides and insecticides to control all kinds of plants and insects. I was careful to use the recommended dose and successfully applied it from time to time. Many years ago I suggested to Jaime that I had a bottle of Round Up concentrate that he should feel free to use as needed. He said nothing. I assumed that he was using it since the yard looked good. Then I discovered the full bottle, unused. I have long been a DIYSer. For those who only go in the garage to park their car that meansdo it yourself. I dusted off the weed poison and took care of the areas that I thought needed attention. Jaime said nothing.
After a few years of this I again reminded Jaime that he could use the herbicide if he wished to save come manual labor. He smiled and reminded me that he worked in yards all the time. I had already taken note of his wide-brimmed hat, long-sleeved shirts and gloves. He briefly explained that he was trying to be careful not to get poisoned by multiple small doses of all kinds of chemicals that get dumped on plants. How could I disagree and not want to help my friend to be well? So I ceased using anything unless I ask him first
That brings us back to dandelions.
A few weeks ago I spotted a few of their cheerful flowers and they renewed the weed-killer instinct in me. I restrained myself until Jaime’s next visit. As we often do, we met in our joint-command HQ, the front yard, to plan a strategy. When I showed him the evidence of the invasion he just smiled and shrugged his shoulders. He promised that the attack would be short-lived and that he would personally control it by hand.
Then in his best diplomatic voice and manner he instructed me, “Más fertilizante”, (more fertilizer) he said. He repeated it twice more and returned to his task.
I count myself an apt student and frequently I learn from him on the topics of plants, cooking, diet, nutrition, child-rearing, weather, health, generosity, and theology, so this past week I have been contemplating the doctrine of more fertilizer.
My immediate thought was that more fertilizer would just grow bigger weeds. But the idea kept coming back to me. More fertilizer would provide nutrients and other good things to the lawn. The lawn would thrive and choke out the weeds. It is a good theory and it seems to be mostly a success. Once in a while there will be a stray weed who wanders in not having learned of the more fertilizerrule. He is escorted from the property by direct attention.
Then the allegory of more fertilizer began to sprout. How often do we, when faced with situations that are difficult, time consuming, and unavoidable, go to our personal poison stash and pull out the proven assassins, far more potent than herbicide or insecticide, and that extend all the way tohomicide?
We do it to try and resolve misunderstandings, mistakes by store clerks or servers in a restaurant. With those we sit beside in church, with our coworkers, friends and family. With our mechanics and medical doctors and house painters. Even with our smallest child or weakest grandmother we can easily ignore the skull and crossed bones on the label and apply a face full of this undiluted stuff with no feeling of guilt or remorse.
That well-known saint and biblical writer Paul instructs us in his letter to the congregation in Galatia with these paraphrased thoughts:
Don’t let your easily retrievable poisonous sinful nature of hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and the like be used to attempt to get rid of the “weeds of life”.
Care for each other’s personal “gardens”. Provide the kinds of things that build character and that cause love to grow. Instead go organic. Compost the fruit of the Spirit. Cover those dry, withering roots with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and goodness. Water with faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no warning label that has a skull and crossed bones. Even applied in liberal undiluted portions there is no danger.
More fertilizer.
