Early in the spring I filled one of my large pots with loads of tiny seeds from an upscale seed packet of “mixed lettuces.” They’d be quick growing and we could have some refreshing salads before it was time for other vegetable plants to take up residence. They did wonderfully well. Except that half of them looked nothing like lettuces. But what were they? I looked them up on the internet but the pictures I found looked nothing like what was in my garden—and growing fast! Were they a different kind of salad green? I wouldn’t mind; I even let a few dandelions grow in my pots for salad. But what if they’re not? What if they were there by accident? What if they were poisonous? I asked some friends; “Look on the internet.” Back at the beginning of the circle.

As the mystery plants grew larger and threatened to take over my newly vining beans, I prayed about what I should do. Then it came to me; the seed packet said “lettuces,” and these were not lettuces! If something other than what I planted was growing in my veg pot, it became obvious–since they were not lettuces, they did not belong. I couldn’t find out what they were, but I knew what they weren’t so out they came, making room for two bean plants and a large bell pepper plant.

Later, I saw some plants just like the ones I had evicted in a nearby weeded area. I do allow wildflowers to grow—what some might call weeds, but not in my veg pots.

Jesus talked about weed seeds masquerading as a crop:

 Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.“The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’

‘An enemy did this,’” he replied.

Apparently the seed company also had an “enemy,” or blundered. Not everything that says it’s the real thing, is.