I was watering the flowers on my front porch this morning and this is what greeted me. Isn't it beautiful? This is a Plumeira flower. My father-n-law gave this plant to me when we were in Florida on Spring Break. At the time he did this, these were just a few sticks. He told me to put them in some soil, water them and they would grow. At the time I was thinking "sure". Because not only did I not think this would work, I also had to fly back home with these sticks. When we did get home, I kind of forgot about them for a couple more days. When I finally did think about planting them, I needed to get potting soil, so there went another day.Finally I got them in a pot and set the pot on the front porch. I kind of put it in the corner because, hey, it was just sticks and I didn't want anyone to see it and think I was crazy for trying to grow sticks. I did keep watering them though, just in case. Finally I saw just a bit of green at the end of one of the sticks and now look. There are leaves and gorgeous flowers, on these sticks, and they really look beautiful.
Spreading the truth about Christ and the salvation and peace that comes from him are kind of like planting these sticks.
Everywhere we go we present ourselves as something. If we are grumpy, gossipy, stand offish or just plain mean. We are just like the sticks out of dirt. Nothing good can come from this. People will walk away and not want anything to do with us.
But if we present ourselves as peaceful, loving, giving and kind, we plant ourselves in the soil of relationships, because we will be the kind of people others want to be around. As relationships grow we can be the picture of Christ and others will want the same beauty that shines from within us. God can use us to bring the message, of Him, to the folks around us. Blessings abound and beauty grows in hearts and lives.
1 Corinthians 3:6-8
6 I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. 7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. 8 Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own [a]reward according to his own labor.
I know this may sound too simplified or even goofy to some of you, but it works. You never know what will grow from the seeds of friendship and love. God is amazing and can use even our smallest attempts.
If I hadn't have put those sticks in the dirt, even though I had doubts that it was worth my time, there wouldn't be a beautiful plant sitting on my front porch right now.
Being a gardener is not always convenient or even easy. It takes hard work and even faith in what you plant. The beauty of this flower is, of course, a blessed reward. But the beauty of God changed lives, and friendships made, is even better.
Blessings!
