wheat among weeds...

Taking steps around the church house...
my heart became heavy...
burdened by conflict within the church...

Unsure how to pray...
wondering whether to ask Him to weed it out...

I gave the burden up to the Spirit...
He who intercedes with groanings...
the echo of what was in my heart...
groanings...

In that moment... a parable came to mind...

The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, "Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?" He said to them, "An enemy has done this." So the servants said to him, "Then do you want us to go and gather them?" But he said, "No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn." ---Matthew 13:24-30 ESV

Wheat and weeds growing together...
weeding out not an option...
some good wheat may be lost in the process...

The heavy heart grows heavier...
a reality since the beginning of His people...
the enemy sowing weeds...
weeds growing fruit...
the fruit of conflict...

I feel the sorrow of the Owner of the field...
looking out over the good He planted...
infiltrated with weeds...
knowing He must watch... wait...
until the time of harvest...

In reviewing the parable... conviction takes hold...
Do you see it...?
The enemy only had a chance to sow evil...
because His men were sleeping...!

His people slept... became complacent...
let the enemy get a foothold...
now... we wait too...
among the weeds...

In my stepping around the church house...
I asked...
Then how do we be zealous for Your Church...
braiding whips... turning tables... like Him...?

What I sensed was an answer...
Zealous intercession through prayer...
Pour out grace...
Be light...

A hard place to be...
wheat... among... weeds...