This morning I heard about a plant, hairy vetch that is, I was told, essentially a weed. This ground cover has the advantage of adding important nitrogen to the soil as it grows from fall until it is cut away at the next planting season. It makes the soil better.
Weeks back I read a book on humility in which the author stated, essentially, that we should consider every humiliation, no matter the source, as a way to grow in humility. In that, we are made better servants of God. As we are lowered, or lower ourselves, the soil of our heart is made better… then just now I read Mark 4:20…
…those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit… (ESV)
I then considered that our hearts, like soil, need constant tending and that comes working… so the humiliation that comes our way (regardless of source) can be used by God like hairy vetch, though it may seem to be just humiliation on the surface, God can use it to work our hearts into better soil. This give another layer of meaning to Romans 8:28… “…all things work together for good…”
Hang on to God, he will work in your heart, no matter the circumstance.
