My blogs seem to have a bit of a plant theme lately…. but hey, it is spring after all!
If you read my previous blog post you would know that I keep a lot of plants in pots, because I’m waiting for gardens to put them in. One of these plants is a Jacaranda tree. I love Jacaranda’s. I think the purple carpet they create in spring time is such a beautiful testimony of our creative God. I believe He loves to give us beautiful things to enjoy.
But, back to my Jacaranda, which is currently in a pot. I faithfully water my plants in their pots at least once a week, depending on how hot it is. But all of a sudden my husband recently started to water them as well. This took me by surprise as it’s not normally his thing but I thought well, if he wants to do it, I’m not going to stop him! The trouble was though, I thought he was taking care of them so I stopped being so diligent… and then he forgot… so it ended up that nobody was watering anything!
I only noticed this when I realised that my plants in their pots were beginning to wither and go brown! Ooops….
My points to take away from this experience…
- Don’t assume someone else is taking care of things. We are all responsible for the things we have been given to take care of, whether that be plants, people, animals, things… or ourselves. Ephesians 4:16 He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love. Just because it looks like someone else is taking care of things, you can’t safely assume that they are. I am reminded of the story about Everybody, Anybody, Somebody and Nobody… I don’t know the source but it’s an interesting observation… Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
- Don’t ever give up on something that looks dead. My Jacaranda tree looked dead, its leaves were brown and withered but I watered it anyway and it started to grow new green shoots. If you are believing for something to come back to life… A dream, a relationship, lost family members… don’t give up. God knows the desires of your heart and He hears your prayers. Habakkuk 3:17-18 Though the fig tree should not blossom, and there be no fruit on the vines. Though the yield of the olive should fail, and the fields produce no food. Though the flock should be cut off from the fold, and there be no cattle in the stalls…Yet I will exalt in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
- Stay soft, don’t harden your heart and become bitter. Isaiah 42:3 A bruised reed He will not break, and a smouldering wick He will not snuff out. In faithfulness He will bring forth justice. The dead branches on my Jacaranda tree were hard and brittle. The new shoots are soft and pliable. In your discouragement, don’t become brittle but stay soft and pliable so that God can do what only He can do in your circumstance.
- When the going gets tough, sink your roots deep. The pot my Jacaranda is in sits in another bucket to catch the water. The roots of the Jacaranda have started to come out of the pot towards the source of water in the bucket. Colossians 2:7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
What is in your pot that you are believing for today? Please let me know so I can believe with you and pray for you.
vikki@redeemed.net.au
