The Lilac Bush

Poppy walked into the kitchen just as her mom was coming in from outside. It was a hot day, and her mom's face was bright red and dripping with sweat."Mom!" Poppy laughed. "What have you been doing?"Her mom was breathing heavily, but she smiled. "I went outside a couple hours ago to clean up the lilac bushes. Well, they were in much worse shape than I thought. I just came in for a drink, but there's still lots for me to do.""I'll help!" Poppy said, grabbing her gardening gloves.As the two approached the giant lilac bushes in the yard, Poppy saw the thick vines that wound their way up and over all the bushes, shading them from the sun's light.Mom picked up the hatchet, and the two of them got to work. Mom cut the vines off at the base and Poppy grabbed and pulled the vines from the bush. The vines held so tightly that it often took the both of them pulling until the vine finally released and the lilac bush bounced back to its full height."That was hard," Poppy said once they were finished. She was so tired she could barely lift the glass of iced tea to her lips!"I agree," Mom said. "But you know what? Sometimes when I do yardwork like that, I remember that God is doing the same type of work in my heart. It makes the struggle a bit more bearable.""What do you mean, the same type of work?" Poppy asked.Mom looked thoughtfully at the bushes. "My sinful nature--my desire to do wrong things that go against who I am in Jesus--is a lot like those vines. Fighting against it often feels as hard as ripping those vines out. But, because of Jesus, I have the Holy Spirit, who gives me the power to resist sin and is helping me grow to be more holy--more like Jesus. When I rip out those vines, I'm reminded of the Holy Spirit's work in my life and how grateful I am that I don't have to fight my sinful desires on my own."Poppy looked at the lilac bushes swaying easily in the breeze, thinking over her mom's words. She knew she had that same power in her too.–Emily Tenter