Plant Murder

I like plants. I’m not like a crazy fanatic nursery person, but I like them. I have a few ivies, a Christmas cactus that I’m in love with, a regular cactus, an African violet, etc. Whenever I go to someone’s house that has cool plants, I get jealous. I don’t think the Bible ever says anything directly about coveting someone else’s plants, so I think it’s okay.

Anyway, on Saturday I was suffering from a case of plant envy so I had to go buy some new ones. They are all flowery plants. Very pretty. I came home and planted them in their new pots and talked sweet to them and stuff. I read the directions about how much sunlight they should get. Two of them said ‘partial shade.’ Just so you know, ‘partial shade’ means ‘hardly any direct sunlight at all.’

I put them out on the patio Saturday afternoon and then proceeded to forget about them. (Give me a break, I was in Mesquite all weekend.) On Monday evening I went back out onto the patio and stared in abject horror at the sight of my two beautiful plants. They were shriveled and wilted. It was pretty pathetic actually.

I brought them inside and attempted to nurse them back to health. There was one that was particularly wretched and after I watered it, I decided it was beyond hope and just threw it away. The other I watered and let sit awhile, hoping life would seep back into its leaves. It gradually started to perk up and I realized it possessed a strong will to live.

Later in the evening, I went back to the trashcan to throw something away and saw my poor little plant that I had given up on. It was starting to look a little better, but I felt it was beyond hope. I turned my back on it and shut the pantry door. (sigh)

But that little plant had other ideas. It turns out the plant was only MOSTLY dead. Now, mostly dead is slightly alive. Now, all dead...well, with all dead, there's usually only one thing that you can do. Go through its clothes and look for loose change. Wait, what? Where am I?

Anyway, by this morning, the plant was looking much better, so I dug the poor little guy out of the trash. I felt bad about almost committing plant murder TWICE within a few days, first by scorching it in the sun and then by sheer neglect. I cut off all the dried up leaves and flowers and gave it another good drink of water. Now it looks lovely. A bit scrawnier than when I first bought it, but now it has room to grow.

Sometimes I feel like a pathetic, shriveled, wilted plant. It sucks to feel that way in any sense, but it’s worse when that’s how I feel spiritually. I’m glad that God has never given up on me and left me to wallow in the garbage can. He patiently waits until I discover my own will to live and then he gently cuts away all the nonsense, fills me with His Spirit and nurses me back to health. A bit scrawnier, perhaps, but heartier, too. And with plenty of room to grow.