I did a lot of yard work last weekend and the gardens in back are looking good. I have some Altheas (Rose of Sharon) and rose bushes that are doing very well. We have received a good bit of rain in the last 3-4 weeks and the flowers and the grass have really loved it. When I was working in the yard I saw that not only were the gardens doing well but so were the weeds. There was some Bermuda grass that had crept into the garden and there was some wild vine from the neighbor’s yard that had slipped through the fence and started wrapping itself around one of the rose bushes. It was a real pain to remove. I was scratched up pretty good by the time my task was finished. I have had to pull runners from this vine off of the rose bush before and it is a bit irritating. This time I peered between the slats of the privacy fence and looked into my neighbor’s back yard and it looked like a jungle. The back yard had not been mowed in some time, some weeds were knee high and that vine covered a large portion of the ground near my fence. This neighbor keeps their front yard mowed and taken care of pretty good so I was surprised by the condition of their back yard. I wanted to say something to them about this vine that I have to keep pulling off of my rose bush every few weeks. As I contemplated this I turned to God’s word for guidance. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 4:11

1Th 4:11 “…make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you…”

Paul was trying to encourage the Thessalonians to focus on their own life and matters and not cause unnecessary strife. As I pondered this counsel, I considered a few important facts. The neighbor’s front yard was properly maintained and the back yard was not in the state it was in because the neighbor was injured. I saw them the other day and they were fine. Nobody was in danger because of this situation…if you don’t count my scratches from the rose bushes. It really is not a big deal for me to pull down runners from that vine every couple of weeks. Plus, God’s word says in Proverbs 26:17 “Like one who takes a dog by the ears is he who passes by and meddles with strife not belonging to him.” Knowing when to butt in and when to stay out of somebody else’s business is important. For now, I will mind my own business, work with my hands and pull any weeds or vines that come into my yard. I’ve got enough work to tend to in my own back yard.