A Flower in God's Garden

Never have I ever... had a green thumb.  Year after year I've tried to cultivate the habits and attributes of a good gardener.  But the truth is that I'm an imposter.  I use an app to tell me when to water my plants, I have no idea what the ideal growing conditions are for most of my flowers, and at the end of most summers, there are more dead plants than live ones.  

But I have come to realize how much I enjoy it.  The older I get, the more I want to appreciate the beauty and variety of flowers and the more I want to put in the effort required to grow something with my own two hands.  A few weeks back, my mom told me that's a pretty common theme as we grow older... the need and desire to care for something beyond oneself... especially something in nature.

I think my husband brings that side out in me too because I've long been a "city girl." But at least I take my head out of a book long enough to enjoy fresh air these days.  

The truth is that we were charged to be caretakers of nature from the beginning (Gen. 2:15), so it shouldn't be any surprise to find that desire awakening in me.  This summer, the more I've cared for my flowers and plants (especially since my accident), the more I have come to realize some pretty powerful truths about humanity -- especially womanhood -- through my observations of these little treasures.  

First, God used a LOT of metaphors and parables about plant growth and cultivation to teach us about our walk as Christians (think: the parable of the sowers, faith as a mustard seed, and planting and sowing of the gospel message).  Even the very beauty of plants and flowers is a nod to intelligent design and a reminder of His love in creating and designing us (Gen. 2:9).  

Second, each plant and flower has a specific set of needs and conditions under which it reaches its maximum potential.  Humans are no different.  In the right set of circumstances, we bloom and thrive.  In the wrong set of circumstances, we are stifled and even die.  Change the conditions, and you could change the outcome for the plant (or human).  Sometimes its environment has to be "tweaked" to discover a plant's optimum conditions, and sometimes those discovered "tweaks" might not even align with the instructions on the special little card that arrives with each plant.  (This actually reminds me of teaching because we have to see the same parallels with our students... each one's unique personality and exposure to environmental factors feed into his or her growth.)  What is helpful for one plant may be hurtful to another; neither plants nor humans are "one solution fits all."  You have to be an active observer and participant in the lives of both plants and humans if you're going to make a difference.

Thirdly, each plant or flower serves a different purpose.  Some bring us joy and gratitude from their beauty, some are meant for food consumption, some have medicinal values, and still others keep away pests.  If you expect, for example, medicinal value from a plant purely meant for beauty, you're going to be sadly mistaken.  (This isn't a strict metaphor to say that some people only have aesthetic value, but you get the point, I hope...)  We cannot bind "reasonable expectations" for one upon another because they are each here to serve different purposes.  

And lastly, and perhaps most importantly to me right now, each plant has a unique timeframe for growth and maturity.  As a woman, I struggle with envy.  It is so hard for me to appreciate the successes of other women without somehow criticizing myself in the process.  I worry that I don't measure up because my "progress" or my "end goal" looks nothing like that of the woman next to me.  I have a hard time extending myself grace for the journey.  But growth isn't linear, and everyone's growth is different.  Some plants shoot up tall quickly and "stall out".  Some plants grow deep roots, but their visible growth seems quite shallow.  Some plants grow slowly and steadily.  Some plants may seem to be dead, but with a little pruning and extra attention, they can bounce back fuller than ever.  (After the events of the last couple years, I'd personally like to think I'm this last flower, and I'm just waiting for that re-blooming season!)  But you cannot CANNOT CANNOT! compare one flower's growth to another's.  Who are we to really say that one's growth is "better" than another's?  Aren't the two merely different?  So are we.  

So I'm leaving this post with a few more pictures of my beautiful flowers, and an INTENTIONAL post of a photo I'm struggling with.  I don't like where I am in the journey right now, but I'm challenging myself to be intentionally uncomfortable in an effort to grow.  I am not particularly proud of my physical appearance right now, but the picture represents an afternoon enjoyed with good friends, good food, and good flowers at Bennett Farms.  It's a reminder of getting out and living my life after my accident and of making memories with the husband I love so much.  I'm sharing it as a reminder of that last point... this just happens to be where I am in the journey... on this particular day, but thankfully... just like my flowers... my growth is unique, and it isn't finished yet!  But because I'm a flower in God's garden, I am confident He isn't finished tending to my growth and that He's still pruning me where He sees fit.