Spring all year

I was looking at one of my potted plants this morning. The first thing you have to realize is that me having even one potted plant that is still alive is a small miracle.

This particular plant I received as a gift when my daughter was born 8 months (has it really been that long?) ago. It's a succulent type plant (I think that's what they are called anyway) with beautiful little white flowers. It sat on my china shelf in the kitchen, brightening the room with it's lime green pot and white flowers. Then the trouble started.

I forgot to water it half the time. Then I would remember and flood the poor thing with a mini-monsoon. The white flowers eventually fell off except for one or two. The branches slowly died one at a time. It was near the "all-dead" mark being categorized as Miracle Max's "mostly dead". I had very little hope that the remaining branch would survive, but thought to give it a try anyway. The plant was placed by a window in the warm sun by the sink. Since I do dishes at least twice a day I see it all the time, so it tends to get watered more often. The dead branches were removed and coffee grounds were added to the soil to aid in nourishment. For a long while I saw no improvement. Then yesterday I noticed how much it had grown! It still was attached to that dead main "trunk", but it was steadily growing and putting out leaves.

Isn't that what the Lord does with us? When we come to Him, He takes us from our shelved and near dead state and brings us into the warm sun of His presence. He removes the dead branches, waters us with His Spirit and nourishes us with His Word. If we stayed stuck on the shelf, trying on our own to grow and produce flowers we would continue to die. We need the Lord's life giving presence, Spirit and Word.

I've got the joy...

It's amazing what a little sleep does to a person! The world will seem empty, meaningless and depressing - add a little sleep and it helps one's perspective immensely. That and prayer. I think that is what actually made me feel better more than the sleep. If I hadn't prayed what I did no amount of sleep would make me feel better.

I think it interesting that so often I find myself expecting my outward circumstances to make me feel happy or better or okay, but really those things happen when I choose to trust the Lord and lay at His feet my burdens. He is the secret to a good and joyful life no matter the circumstance.

This verse was brought to my attention a few weeks ago: "In Your presence is fullness of joy" ~ Psalm 16:11b