Managing Cuckoo Burrows - Martin Wiles

Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn. Matthew 13:30 NLT

Managing cuckoo burrows was a new experience for me in farm life.

Visiting my maternal grandparents on the farm was always enjoyable. Every day was a new adventure, doing things I had never experienced in the city. Along with my cousin, I’d pile into my grandfather’s blue Chevy truck and head to the farm.

As my grandfather rode down the dirt roads dividing the cotton fields, he pointed out cuckoo burrows. These invaders were thorny weeds that often grew alongside the cotton. They were easy to spot as they matured. And when my grandfather did, he’d send my grandmother, my cousin, or me into the fields to pull them up.

“Be careful not to pull up the cotton,” he’d caution. Sometimes, this challenged me because they grew so close together.

Jesus once said something similar when asked if weeds should be pulled from the wheat field. Unlike my grandfather, he said to leave them until the harvest time. Then they would be separated into their respective places.

Like the tares of Jesus’ day, these weeds represented things that shouldn’t be in the cotton field. If left alone, they would take over, preventing the cotton plant from growing and producing as my grandfather intended.

Cuckoo burrows represent things that shouldn’t be in our lives. Left there, they will stunt our spiritual growth or even keep us from Christ in the beginning. Sinful choices and relationships invite thorns into our lives. Some aren’t sinful; they merely interfere with our service to Christ. Like my grandfather, Christ tells me to pull them up.

Ridding our lives of prickly invaders takes intentional effort. I could have looked at them in the cotton field all day long, but they would never have gone away. I had to leave the truck, walk into the field, and remove them. Cuckoo burrows interfere with our being the salt and light Jesus wants us to be in this world. Spiritual disciplines spread poison on them.

Ask God to show you your cuckoo burrows. Then pull them up so you can be successful in your work for Him.

Father, thank you for giving me the power to rid my life of anything that hinders my witness and service to you.

I invite you to try my book Grits, Grace, and God in eBook or paperback. If you want a daily dose of God's grace, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Enduring Life's Thorns - Martin Wiles

But to keep me from getting puffed up, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from getting proud. 2 Corinthians 12:7 NLT

I hadn't garnered enough backpacking experience, so my first long haul involved a serious mistake. 

Hiking and backpacking had become a love I pursued monthly, but I wanted more. And what better way to spend the week than hiking a remote section of the Foothills Trail with my daughter, who was on spring break? This particular trail meanders along the South Carolina—North Carolina border.

My mistake entailed wearing a new pair of boots. Halfway through our first day of hiking, a burning sensation grabbed at the side of my heel. We stopped at the first cool stream of water so I could investigate. The culprit was a large blister. I cleaned the area, applied antibiotic cream, covered it with a bandage, and moved on. This thorn on my foot required daily care for the remainder of the hike.  

Paul was a great apostle, but he had a thorn. Theologians conjecture what it was, but Paul leaves the answer as a mystery. What it was isn't as important as how he responded to it. His actions are noteworthy when dealing with our thorns. 

Paul identified his thorn—not to us--but to himself. I knew what mine was as well. Soldiers in battle must identify the enemy before they can fight him. 

Though we can't identify the thorn, we can understand why Paul asked God about its why. Asking God a question and questioning God are different. The first is permissible; the second is questionable. God may choose to reveal why or keep it a secret. I knew why I had the blister. 

Paul asked God to remove the thorn. I would have loved for God to miraculously heal my blister, but I doubted that would happen until I took the boots off. God didn't take Paul's thorn away, either. Paul's thorn had a purpose; my blister did as well. 

When God refused to remove Paul's thorn, Paul made peace with it. I did the same with my blister. I doctored it daily because I knew the risk of infection. Paul was obviously tempted to have a prideful spirit since he concluded that God gave the thorn to keep him humble. 

God has a purpose when assigning thorns. When enduring life's thorns, ask God what he's attempting to teach you rather than complaining. 

Father, though I don't enjoy thorns, I trust you have a purpose in allowing them. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.