My daughter and I have the same plant, obtained at the same time. They both have been most frustrating to grow.
They are temperamental. Moving them, rotating them, change in watering or room temperature and you can be certain it will respond with dropping some leaves.
Meaning, yes, I have in the past, been left with a stick of plant. But then it grew new leaves and once again, I was determined to grow this plant to its potential.
It began to do well with new leaves sprouting for a time and then stabilized. Content with the progress it had made, I continued to care for it but didn’t inspect or observe the plant closely.
Until one day this past week.
While walking past the plant, I suddenly noticed a new leaf. It was yet small but it was there. It has steadily grown since then, day by day becoming a little larger.
Spiritual growth is sort of like that. We don’t realize our roots are going down deep into the Word and promises of God. We can’t measure or see it. But it is happening under the care of the Gardener.
All we do is stay connected. We cease striving. We are simply present with Him.
“Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. [Live in Me, and I will live in you.] Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me. I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit.” (John 15:4-5, AMPC)
Abide.
Stay vitally united to,
and grow.
“But the Lord told Joshua to ruminate on his Word.” Ruminate was the word which grabbed my attention. We need to read God’s Word slowly, thinking about the words in front of us, letting them speak to us so that we are fortified. We cannot do a quick read and check off the box for the day. In her post, How Meditating on God’s Word Defeats Discouragement HERE, Debbie Wilson offers much wisdom if we are going to ward off discouragement these days.
Come, sit a spell. Bring your coffee, your posts, and your thoughts. If you link up, kindly visit those who have drawn up a seat around you.
Photo by Nacho Domínguez Argenta on Unsplash
So true Joanne & I love your analogy & the following statement;
“All we do is stay connected. We cease striving. We are simply present with Him.” Amen!
Blessings, Jennifer
The morning I noticed the new growth, it stopped my in my tracks. I love when the Lord speaks His truth to us in the simplest of ways. Have a blessed day, Jennifer!
Such a vital truth, but so easy to forget. So much goes back to resting in Him and not striving in our own strength.
Barbara, that is so it. We strive, and Jesus says, “Just come and be with Me.” He truly takes care to grow us. Have a blessed day!
Abide. Staying connected. Growing and flourishing in His Presence.
Amen.
A touching reminder to abide and rest in Him, letting our roots go deep in Him, then the fruit will come forth to give Him glory.
Cease striving – and just stay connected. It’s so very hard to grasp the cease striving–but once you do, it’s like being liberated. Loving God and receiving His love is not a striving thing. Learning that, living that is sometimes a slow dawn growing thing.
Just reading those words, “Dwell in me and I’ll dwell in you,” brings such peace. What a better way to live. And thank you for highlighting my post.
Our plants have so much to teach us!
And it’s amazing how growth sometimes happens when we’re not looking for it.
Love this reminder to stay connected to the Vine. Without Him, I can do nothing. How amazing is it that He invites us to cease stribing and hang with Him. I have to be reminded over and over because striving is my middle name!
I’ve also stopped to reflect on Spiritual growth as I noticed new growth on one of my seemingly dead plants recently as well. God just awes me even through the seemingly littlest things.
Thanks so much for hosting.