As the murky water cleared in my new pond and I was able to look down through the water, I was dismayed to find a bunch of  leaves and muck on the bottom. I had tried so carefully to prevent anything from falling into the water while working on it, so where did all this stuff come from? And how do I get rid of it?

I know that a little muck is beneficial for the fish and plant life, but I didn’t like seeing it. Apparently I wasn’t alone. Some people get rid of the muck by draining the pond and getting inside to scrub the lining and rocks. That wasn’t going to happen in my case, but I did have a pool vacuum which other people mentioned that they used. However, a larger group of people said to leave it, at least for this year. Next year I would have to clean out some of it but for now, just enjoy the pond as it is.

I spent several days debating which group of people to follow. Clean it out or leave it in until later?

And then I noticed something that made my decision easier for me. Tadpoles. Hundreds of tadpoles. Maybe even thousands throughout the entire pond. Tiny squishy spots that swam from place to place. No way could I vacuum the muck without vacuuming up these babies. I decided that I will wait until they are mature frogs and find their own places to live before I get rid of the muck.

Jesus once told a parable about a similar situation. A man sowed good seed in his field but while his men were sleeping, his enemy sowed weeds among the wheat. When the plants came up and bore grain, the weeds also appeared. The workers asked whether to pull up the weeds but the man said that it would harm the wheat so let them grow. When the wheat is harvested, the weeds could be easily separated and burned. Jesus later explained that He was the man who sowed His people in the kingdom of God. But the devil sowed his followers in with them. At harvest time, the angels will separate out the lawless ones from the Believers and cast them in a fiery furnace.

In today’s world, we see two groups of people. Those who are living for God and those who aren’t. Removing the ones who aren’t might damage those who are so God lets them stay until the time is right. He protects His people even if that means others appear to get away with sin. But at the right time, they will pay for their sin.

Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Psalm 37:1-3

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Romans 6:23

Just like He told His angels not to remove the weeds in case it hurt the wheat. I chose not to remove the muck in case it hurt the tadpoles. A little muck doesn’t overcome the beauty of the flowers that surround the pond, the mesmerizing ripples of the water flowing over pebbles, the peaceful splash of the waterfalls, and the joyful fun of watching the tadpoles grow and develop.

I wonder if that’s what God thinks when He looks down from heaven at us.

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

He put another parable before them, saying, “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.”’”

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.