I have a plant in my house
that I have owned for 17 years. It was a gift from when I had opened my salon back in 2003. When it was given to me, it was a typical counter sized plant. I kept it on a plant stand near the window in the salon until the day the shop closed, and then I took it home. When I brought it home I put it on a pedestal in my upstairs hallway in front of the window. Eventually, it got too big for its pot so I needed to transplant it. Then it got too big to be on the pedestal so I needed to move it to the floor. I eventually transplanted it to the pot it’s in now. It’s still in the same spot it has been since the day I brought it home 14 years ago, except now it is so big you practically have to turn sideways to get past it!
You may be thinking, “what does this have to do with me?”
For several weeks now I have been admiring the resilience of this plant. The thing I love about this plant (called a peace lily—although it technically isn’t a lily at all) is that as long as you follow a few simple rules, they thrive. You can even neglect to water them for months at a time and eventually they will tell you they are not doing well. They will droop so low in their pots that you have no choice but to water them. At which point, they perk right back up again. Of course, the more you properly care for them by keeping them watered, keeping them away from sunlight and extreme heat or cold, and basically finding a good spot for them and leaving them there, the happier they are and the more they grow.
So as I am watching my plant grow, I am reminded how the same can be said about us and our spiritual well-being.
Sure, we can go without the nourishing Word of God or the community of the local church for an extended period of time. We can even survive without it. But the longer we are without it the more we, like my plant, start to droop. I don’t know about you, but I recognize this about myself. Water me with The Word and the presence of His people and I’ll perk right back up again. And if we continue to be nourished by them, and allow the Lord to provide the right climate and circumstances required for the specific journey He has for us, we will continue to grow and thrive, even if it means never moving from the spot we’ve been placed in. Even if, like Paul (in this week’s message), it means we are relying solely on His grace to give us the strength to weather the storm, to stand firm when the enemy attacks, and to believe that HE IS ENOUGH.
2 Corinthians 12:9 – “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'”
Thanks for reading,
Chicki
LifePoint Church Member
