NURTURE A PLANT

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Why? Why nurture a plant? What possible good could come from this?

Nurturing a plant—loving a plant will help you to love a person unconditionally. People are always doing and saying the wrong things. We are to love them regardless. We don’t have to approve of them or their actions but we do need to love them. This is hard to do. A plant, however, is easier to love and we can learn from this kind of nurturing.

Right now I’m having a hard time loving what was once a beautiful ficus tree. This once tall, stately, beautiful green tree has turned to a brown, ugly, drooping caricature of itself. What was once a beautiful “friend” is now just a reminder of a cold winter. But I need to love this tree again and I know it. The garden guy said, “Be patient. The beauty will return but it may take as long as two years.” Two years???

Ok, I’m gonna do it! I’m gonna love that tree back to health. I’m gonna talk to it and tell it how much I love it whether it lives or dies.

It’s a more difficult task but I’m gonna try this same thing with people who grate on me. I’m not going to be agitated, irritated or impatient. PRAY FOR ME!