Controlled burns serve several useful purposes to the ecosystem in which they are performed. They restore order to an area by removing dry debris and undergrowth that could fuel greater damage through an uncontrolled wildfire.  The burns also bolster the soil's nutrient quality, promoting growth and diversity of plant life within.  On top of this, they control invasive plants and expose the area to more direct sunlight, which supports native plants and animals. 

These burns are scheduled and carried out with great care in order to minimize both the physical damage and the displacement of animals, while still achieving their goals.  Though the scars left behind are unpleasant to the eye, possibly concerning at first glance, worry not: the vegetation and wildlife will return in abundance.  The long-term objective is to restore peace, health, and longevity to the area and its native inhabitants, though that healing process can be slow and challenging.  

As I walk through different phases of my life, I experience my own sort of “controlled burns.”   For reference's sake, I will be referring to this in terms of tending to my garden for the remainder of this writing.

Many plants have found their way into my garden over the years.  Some are like annuals and remain only for a season, while others are more like perennials, returning year after year as their root system strengthens with the passing of time.  Still others never really take root and seem to drift past the garden as quickly as they arrived.

Of these plants, some add warmth, beauty, and a tangible brightness to the habitat.  They seem to enter effortlessly, providing a complimentary accent (or complimentary contrast) to the others within.  They bring joy to all they encounter and encourage others around them to do and be their best.  They share the light and the love of the garden and genuinely contribute to the overall health of the garden and all of its inhabitants.

Some foliage brings thorns and pain when you prick your finger on them.  The thorns might not be visible at first, offering a false sense of security.  By the time the thorns appear, the roots are deep and strong.  Much harder to expel.  Sometimes the thorns get stuck in your skin and you too become somewhat jagged and thorny as a result. You might assume some of the unpleasant characteristics of this offensive species yourself. 

Some plants sprout up next to you out of nowhere.  You believe they will be a perfect addition!  Initially they are a trusted and complementary companion, but over time, they push past you, taking with them all of the substance of life for themselves.  The light, the water, the very air that you need to survive.  Without speaking a word of ill intent, they are seemingly snuffing out your very existence and dimming your light in the process.  The kicker is that you are allowing it to happen.  There comes a point when these invasive plants are no longer welcome inhabitants of your garden.  It is time to tend the garden and evict its unwanted residents, allowing reinvigorated soil to make way for fresh, new, healthy growth.

Sometimes I am the one coordinating the controlled burn, while tending to the vitality and well-being of my own garden.  At other times, I am the debris being cleared away from someone else’s plot.  Neither feels good.  The deeper the roots, the more painful the burn. Your garden may not look and feel like you want during this time of repair, but if left to heal, it will again flourish and be full.  

It is important to keep the end game in mind when tending to your garden.  Let those plants go that cause problems, complications, or pain.  Some greenery might appear beautiful when, in reality, it is toxic to you or others in your garden.  This plant must be removed.  Not pruned, completely eradicated!  Your garden needs to be a safe space for you.  A place to grow and flourish.  Surround yourself with plants that see you, hear you, celebrate you, encourage you, lift you up, share the light with you, help you to grow, hold you accountable, are reliable, trustworthy, honest, loving, kind, and safe.  It is equally important that you provide the same measure of consistent care, nourishment, and love to those in your garden.  

Your garden does not need to look like anyone else’s garden.  The vegetation within the safe borders of your garden does not need to be perfect in appearance.  The size of your garden, and the number of plants within, is irrelevant.  Quality over quantity.  Plants do not need to be healthy or without problems, but they do need to be safe residents, however that looks for you.  Accept no less!  Do not compromise your peace or the tranquility of your garden.  Do not allow yourself to be made to feel small or insignificant in your own garden.  Protect the peace, solidity, harmony, and health of your garden.  

Your garden may not always look the same, in fact I would be surprised if it did.  As you journey through life, the composition of your garden will change and evolve with you.  Some plants are staples in your garden and will hopefully always be there.  As mentioned, others come and go.  Sometimes a plant that you love becomes problematic.  Where it used to blend in harmoniously, it now disrupts.  Perhaps it has become somewhat toxic, or thorns are becoming more apparent.  Sometimes allowances are made, and these plants are not removed from your garden, but cut back and maintained by boundaries that allow for them in your garden while still protecting your peace.  

Never stop tending to your ever-changing garden. Assess, prune, and burn when needed. Don't be afraid to experience temporary pain for the sake of healing and protecting the long-term peace of your garden. 

As much as possible, fill your garden with flowers that produce the sweetest of fruits of all,

The fruits of the spirit:

Love

Joy

Peace

Patience

Kindness

Goodness

Faithfulness

Gentleness

Self‑control

Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Proverbs 13:20 – Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.

1 Corinthians 15:33 – Do not be misled: ‘Bad company corrupts good character.’

Proverbs 22:24-25 – Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared.

Hebrews 10:24-25 – And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.