“But grow in the grace and
knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
2 Peter 3:18
I don’t have a green thumb. The genes which make for
a successful gardener passed me by. Therefore, I was surprised when the
geraniums, set beside a window in our garage for the winter, were not only
growing leaves, but blooming. They were pale, sickly looking things, but they
were alive.
The only plants I manage to grow are giant pots of
geraniums on my front porch. They not only survive my hit-or-miss watering and
feeding techniques, they are not a favorite with the squirrels which seem to
think flowers stems which must taste like Brussel sprouts) are a delicacy.
Food and water in regular helpings are necessary for
plants to grow and thrive. I managed this with my children, however, when it
comes to plants, my methods often fail. The geraniums may have survived my neglect
over the winter, but they withered and the leaves dropped off following a
liberal dosing of plant food in the spring.
Watering and praying go well together, and my plants
are not so different from my relationship to God. My spiritual life requires
appropriate food, water, and light. Neglecting daily prayer and Bible reading,
and failing to attend worship services on a regular basis, causes me to wither
and die spiritually. I fail to become the thriving specimen of God’s handiwork
that He created me to be.
Scripture makes it plan that Christians are needy. Fellowship
encourages me to blossom and reach out to others. Prayer waters and refreshes
my spirit, helping me to withstand the perils of life. Spending time in His
word on a daily basis feeds my hungry soul, keeping me strong and healthy.
Neglecting any one of these aspects of the Christian
life, it affects all the others. Like neglected flowers, I lose my beauty and
fail to benefit those around me. My spirit languishes without careful
nurturing, just as my flowers wither without proper food, water, and light, but the Master Gardner knows exactly what is required for my spirit to thrive.
As my geraniums remind me daily, I can thrive and be
healthy with proper care. Nurturing my spirit as I nurture my plants enables me
to become a thing of beauty in God’s garden of life.
© Copyright June
1, 2013 by Norma Gail Thurston Holtman
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About the author:
Norma
Gail’s debut contemporary Christian romance, Land of My Dreams, set in Scotland
and New Mexico released in April 2014. She has led weekly women’s Bible studies
for 19 years. Her devotionals, poetry have appeared at ChristianDevotions.us,
the Stitches Thru Time blog, and in “The Secret Place.” She is a member of
American Christian Fiction Writers, FaithWriters, Romance Writers of America, and
the New Mexico Christian Novelists. She is a former RN who lives in the
mountains of New Mexico with her husband of 38 years. They have two adult
children.
www.normagail.org
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorNormaGail
Book Links:
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/land-of-my-dreams-norma-gail/1119606864
?ean=9781941103173
Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas: http://store.lpcbooks.com/product/land-of-my-dreams/
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