Last summer I purchased a basil plant. It lasted about a month before I went on vacation, forgot about it, and came home to a dead plant. A very dead plant. I threw it away.
This summer, I decided I'd do better. I'd be more intentional. I'd take better care of it.
{I probably should admit- last summer- I purchased the little plant and stuck it in a coffee cup. I didn't give it more soil. I didn't plant it. I just bought the plant and expected good things to come if I watered it.}
This summer, I bought the plant, I bought an actual pot, I bought more soil. I planted it into a bigger pot, gave it good soil, and watered it. I put it on my balcony where it would receive an ideal amount of sunlight.
This plant thrived. I'd made two batches of pesto. I watered it. I tended to it. Then I went on vacation. I came home to a withered basil plant. My first thought was "ugh, not again." But after realizing how much I'd invested in the plant already, I decided to give it some water and see what happened.
The next morning, I peeked out onto the balcony and saw my plant alive and well. Who knew!
I've continued to take care of this plant and now if the leaves get a little wilted, I water it and know that life will come.
Last month my boyfriend had come over and mentioned I needed to trim some of the plant. Not just pick the leaves to make pesto, but to cut back the leaves. He begins to chop. Not just a little bit, but huge chunks. I may or may not have freaked out a little on him. He chopped three stems when I yelled "Noooooo!" He said "this is good for it, Minda" and continued trimming. I finally caught my breath and said "ok, that's enough for now. Please. Stop." He would have kept going, but respecting my hyperventilation, he stopped.
I may have pet the plant and said "it's over! I promise." (That's just a rumor though.)
Two weeks later, I was sitting on my patio when I looked over at the plant and saw new, green life. The stems that had been chopped had regrown and were green. (As opposed to the yucky brown stems I'd evidently been trying to save.) Green. Growth. Fresh. New.
I'm well aware that for thousands of years, people have been using the gardening/plant analogy in regards to the work Christ wants to do in our life. This is nothing new.
But when you've seen it first hand, it makes more sense.
Reminded today that He has invested much in me. Even gave His own Son for me.
He is not quick to throw me out, or to say I'm beyond help. Maybe sometimes I'm a little wilt-y and need some water. Maybe sometimes I'm REALLY wilt-y. Maybe sometimes I need some stems cut back. It will hurt. I'll hyperventilate. But I'll be ok, And new, green, fresh growth will come. Beautiful growth.
Growth is good.
 |
| Basil on left is not mine. Basil on right was mine. Trust me. It was VERY dead. |
This summer, I decided I'd do better. I'd be more intentional. I'd take better care of it.
{I probably should admit- last summer- I purchased the little plant and stuck it in a coffee cup. I didn't give it more soil. I didn't plant it. I just bought the plant and expected good things to come if I watered it.}
This summer, I bought the plant, I bought an actual pot, I bought more soil. I planted it into a bigger pot, gave it good soil, and watered it. I put it on my balcony where it would receive an ideal amount of sunlight.
This plant thrived. I'd made two batches of pesto. I watered it. I tended to it. Then I went on vacation. I came home to a withered basil plant. My first thought was "ugh, not again." But after realizing how much I'd invested in the plant already, I decided to give it some water and see what happened.
The next morning, I peeked out onto the balcony and saw my plant alive and well. Who knew!
I've continued to take care of this plant and now if the leaves get a little wilted, I water it and know that life will come.
Last month my boyfriend had come over and mentioned I needed to trim some of the plant. Not just pick the leaves to make pesto, but to cut back the leaves. He begins to chop. Not just a little bit, but huge chunks. I may or may not have freaked out a little on him. He chopped three stems when I yelled "Noooooo!" He said "this is good for it, Minda" and continued trimming. I finally caught my breath and said "ok, that's enough for now. Please. Stop." He would have kept going, but respecting my hyperventilation, he stopped.
I may have pet the plant and said "it's over! I promise." (That's just a rumor though.)
Two weeks later, I was sitting on my patio when I looked over at the plant and saw new, green life. The stems that had been chopped had regrown and were green. (As opposed to the yucky brown stems I'd evidently been trying to save.) Green. Growth. Fresh. New.
I'm well aware that for thousands of years, people have been using the gardening/plant analogy in regards to the work Christ wants to do in our life. This is nothing new.
But when you've seen it first hand, it makes more sense.
Reminded today that He has invested much in me. Even gave His own Son for me.
He is not quick to throw me out, or to say I'm beyond help. Maybe sometimes I'm a little wilt-y and need some water. Maybe sometimes I'm REALLY wilt-y. Maybe sometimes I need some stems cut back. It will hurt. I'll hyperventilate. But I'll be ok, And new, green, fresh growth will come. Beautiful growth.
Growth is good.
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