From the Roots

A plant such as this ruellia and the pineapple sage below can look as dead as can be if you look solely at their branches. However, new growth springs often up from the roots.


In his “Parable of the Sower,” Jesus emphasized the necessity of good roots for plants and for people,

“As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.”

“The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away ( Matthew 13:4-6; 20-21).”

In order to withstand the harassments of this life that can scorch you dry,
go deep into reading the Bible (especially the New Testament) and obeying Jesus’ teachings

To Flourish

The prayer plant is blooming again. This is the kind of little white flower that I told you about that made the seed pod that dropped the tiny seeds that grew the new baby prayer plant. The flower lasts only about a day so the process is very quick—no wonder I missed it last time. Both plants are blooming; they must be happy.

That reminds me of the old saying that I’ve come to dread, “Bloom where you’re planted.” It’s plain that a gardener didn’t come up with it since plants grow well and bloom in good soil, light and water conditions. While they can overcome difficult circumstances, they typically don’t flourish unless they have what they need. God didn’t come up with it either. Jesus made plain in his “Parable of the Sower” that plants flourish in good soil, using plants as a metaphor for people who flourish spiritually when they understand the “message about the kingdom” and aren’t distracted by “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of riches” (Matthew 13:1-23 NIV).

Good conditions grow good plants—and people. However, God has a different definition of good than most people and includes persecution for Jesus’ name but it does not include sickness or tragedy since, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work” (1 John 3:8 NIV).