Me and My Little Plant
I have this plant. It is a cute little green thing that is pretty resilient. It was given to Billy and me by my friend Laura as a “love plant” at our engagement party.
This little plant doesn’t need too much to survive. In all reality, all it needs is water and sunshine. This is all. Water and light. (You may already see where this is going)
This semester has been quite busy though and I have recently forgotten to give it water. At first I watered it a little bit every day and always turned it to make sure that every part of the plant was getting some sunshine. If I didn’t turn it for a few days, I would look up to see my plant reaching over one side of its little pot towards the window and the side that didn’t get sun looked a little weak. Well, yesterday, I looked up and couldn’t see the leaves of my little plant. Why? Because they were all limp and laying down over the side of the pot as I had forgotten to water it for…three weeks. It also had not received much sun since the blinds were closed.
How did I not realize this?!?!?! I mean, I love this plant. Having a cute little plant is so much fun and it has become a great part of my life and I forgot to give it the two little things it needed, water and light.
I did not realize this until I realized something about myself the day before: I get so caught up in school and things this world considers to be “life” that I forget to take time to do the things that sustain what is really “life”. Last week, I went to Campus Crusade’s service which was a full on worship night. I cried and praised God like I hadn’t done in weeks. Then, I got in the Word this weekend, reading 1 Samuel pretty intensely. As I read and laughed and learned and was encouraged I realized my spirit was starting to liven up. Then, I went to church for the first time in a few weeks (due to sickness and such) and felt a smile on my face I could not subdue.
How did I not realize this?!?!?! All this awakening I felt was due to the fact that I had slowly stopped taking care of my spirit and spending time with my Savior. Though I was having my “quiet times” and reading my bible, I wasn’t drinking from His Spirit. I was definitely not digging into the Living Water or allowing it to flood my heart. As for sunshine, my life had little because I was so wrapped up in stress that I let clouds blind my view of the sun. I was not making sure that, even though I had made sure my mind was positioned in the sun during bible study and spiritual conversations, the deeper parts of me (my heart, my spirit) received some sunshine during deep, intimate prayer or true digging into the Living Word.
Well, I watered the plant. I made sure it had some sunshine. I pulled the dead leaves off. Today, it is taller than it has ever been and man was it reaching for the sunshine! I opened the blinds and have turned it twice! It is so alive and so is my spirit. The spirit cannot just water itself and give itself sunshine. It is my decision, every day, to continue to grow my spirit and to soak it in the Living Water that is my Savior. It is my job as the proprietor of this spirit I have to expose it to God and let God in to give it the sustenance it needs to be truly alive.
As for me and my plant, we will be watered and be given light every day. It is my charge because being reaching for God’s light every day is the only way I find fit to live. In fact, it is the only way I can truly live.
This little plant doesn’t need too much to survive. In all reality, all it needs is water and sunshine. This is all. Water and light. (You may already see where this is going)
This semester has been quite busy though and I have recently forgotten to give it water. At first I watered it a little bit every day and always turned it to make sure that every part of the plant was getting some sunshine. If I didn’t turn it for a few days, I would look up to see my plant reaching over one side of its little pot towards the window and the side that didn’t get sun looked a little weak. Well, yesterday, I looked up and couldn’t see the leaves of my little plant. Why? Because they were all limp and laying down over the side of the pot as I had forgotten to water it for…three weeks. It also had not received much sun since the blinds were closed.
How did I not realize this?!?!?! I mean, I love this plant. Having a cute little plant is so much fun and it has become a great part of my life and I forgot to give it the two little things it needed, water and light.
I did not realize this until I realized something about myself the day before: I get so caught up in school and things this world considers to be “life” that I forget to take time to do the things that sustain what is really “life”. Last week, I went to Campus Crusade’s service which was a full on worship night. I cried and praised God like I hadn’t done in weeks. Then, I got in the Word this weekend, reading 1 Samuel pretty intensely. As I read and laughed and learned and was encouraged I realized my spirit was starting to liven up. Then, I went to church for the first time in a few weeks (due to sickness and such) and felt a smile on my face I could not subdue.
How did I not realize this?!?!?! All this awakening I felt was due to the fact that I had slowly stopped taking care of my spirit and spending time with my Savior. Though I was having my “quiet times” and reading my bible, I wasn’t drinking from His Spirit. I was definitely not digging into the Living Water or allowing it to flood my heart. As for sunshine, my life had little because I was so wrapped up in stress that I let clouds blind my view of the sun. I was not making sure that, even though I had made sure my mind was positioned in the sun during bible study and spiritual conversations, the deeper parts of me (my heart, my spirit) received some sunshine during deep, intimate prayer or true digging into the Living Word.
Well, I watered the plant. I made sure it had some sunshine. I pulled the dead leaves off. Today, it is taller than it has ever been and man was it reaching for the sunshine! I opened the blinds and have turned it twice! It is so alive and so is my spirit. The spirit cannot just water itself and give itself sunshine. It is my decision, every day, to continue to grow my spirit and to soak it in the Living Water that is my Savior. It is my job as the proprietor of this spirit I have to expose it to God and let God in to give it the sustenance it needs to be truly alive.
As for me and my plant, we will be watered and be given light every day. It is my charge because being reaching for God’s light every day is the only way I find fit to live. In fact, it is the only way I can truly live.
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