Roots

You know that feeling you get when you work really hard on something but are unsure whether it will pay off in the end? Maybe for something work related, or surprising a friend for a birthday party comes to mind. That's sort of how I felt after I propagated some of my succulents.

Propagating might seem similar to pruning, but it's actually quite different. When you prune a plant, you are removing what's dead to ensure the nutrients go to the remaining parts and are not wasted on a piece that's already too far gone. When you propagate, you are removing a perfectly healthy piece of the plant in hopes that a new baby plant will begin to sprout in addition to the mother plant.

And so this is what I did. I had probably 9 different kinds of succulents, and decided to try to make lots of baby plants. I was super excited to be able to research and practice all I learned about propagating my plants. I picked dozens of the leaflets off and placed them in my window sill. It wasn't until after I finished that I realized something; now I had to wait.

I felt so jittery, I wanted them to bloom quickly! But as time has gone on, I've realized time is very necessary and crucial during this period. The leaflet needs time to callous which can take up to a week. After what felt like a month (it was literally only 10 days) my little leaflet began to search for water and sprout little roots. The excitement that pulsed through my body seemed a little ridiculous considering it's only a plant. But I noticed a spiritual significance within the plants I had been tending to and hoping would grow.

"...for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up."

- Galatians 6:7-9

"I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building."

-1 Corinthians 3:6-9 

As Christians we love to meet people and form friendships. Sometimes we don't know if the efforts we are putting into a particular friend seem to meet our standards. Is it worth giving them our time? Do they really care about what we are sharing with them about God? Usually time will tell. But if we become careless in the beginning stages of our friendships and unwilling to put forth time, who knows what we could potentially miss out on.

I've paid so much attention to my succulents in these past few weeks. I look at them multiple times a day to see if there's a difference between what they look like in the morning and in the evening. Lots of waiting and misting and watching has been given to them. But we must also be willing to put the love, care, and time that is needed in order for our friendships to grow. Much is at stake if we don't. We don't always know how God is working in the hearts of others, but we can trust that He is. If we are faithful to sow and entrust ourselves to those God has placed in our lives, strong roots can form, and beautiful friendships are able to blossom. I'm sure there are so many biblical truths found here. But a reminder to keep trusting God to work even when we don't see results is always welcomed.

Good and Evil

Genesis 3:1-7

[Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. 
He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden?'" 

And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, 'You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'" 

But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.]

There are so many things resonating in my spirit about this passage and the words that follow. The first thing is that God created the serpent. The serpent didn't have any power or ability that God hadn't given him. The second thing I notice is that God warned Eve of the consequences of disobedience were she to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil; he told her she would surely die. She was seeking a desire of wisdom from an object instead of her Creator. When she looked at the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, it was delightful to the eyes. It seemed good for food, but what was the cost?

This is what sin is in our lives. From the outside it seems harmless and desirable. But really, it's deceitful and deadly. Although Eve might have thought eating the fruit was okay, Adam should have stood by his convictions and said "no!" Don't just follow the crowd. Crowds lie! In regards to Jesus, look at the crowd that shouted "Crucify him" less than a week after they shouted "Hosanna" at the Damascus gate. We need to be willing to stand up and be a peculiar people, a people that lives out biblical convictions.

Lastly, this scripture shares that Adam and Eve's eyes were opened, and they knew they were naked, so they sewed fig leaves to cover themselves. There are things of this world that are not worth seeing or knowing. Things within tv or movies, song lyrics, music videos, commercials, billboards, so many things that ruin our minds. When we crave something that isn't best for us, we become more in tune with the things of this world rather than heavenly things. The fig leaves used to cover their bodies didn't make it so God couldn't see them, or that Adam and Eve couldn't see one another. God created them! We can't try to cover up and hide from God when He made us and can see right through us. Later in the scriptures, there is a dialogue between God and Adam. When Adam is hiding, God asks "Where are you?" This isn't because God doesn't know where Adam is. Rather, God is making sure Adam is aware that he is in fact hiding from his Creator.

Are you in hiding?