God Gives the Growth

A while back I bought a few house plants to brighten up my apartment. The plants were great for a few months, and then all of a sudden, the plants started to change. The leaves started to turn brown, the roots got weak, and the plant just looked droopy and dull. I didn’t know what was wrong with the plant. After a few more weeks, almost all of the leaves either turned brown or rotted off, and the once beautiful plants that I brought home from the store, were now almost completely empty pots. In my disappointment, I left the plants alone and stopped watering them, as there was hardly anything left in the pot to water. Some weeks went by, and the plants seemed to just spring back to life overnight. The leaves started to get their shape back, new leaves were beginning to sprout, and what was once brown, was now in the process of transforming itself back into a bright shade of green. I was hesitant to touch the plants, not wanting to destroy this new growth that was happening. I left the plants alone for a bit longer and they continued to grow. After about another week or so, I gave the plants some water for the first time in about a month. I have since been watering the plants about once every two weeks, and the plants now look even better than they did when I first purchased them. The pots are filled with leaves again, there are no brown leaves, and the leaves are a beautiful shade of bright green. One morning, I was looking at the plants, watching them bask in the morning sunshine coming through the window, and I felt God was sending me a reminder. 

 “See, when you try to water things and make things grow and happen in your own time, it doesn’t work out. Leave things up to Me and My timing, and I will cultivate the growth of what you are praying for.” 

You see, what I didn't realize was that I was severely over-watering my plants. I didn't realize that just because the top layer of soil was dry, that it meant the rest of the soil was dry too. The layers of soil beneath the surface where the roots are still had water. Everytime I gave the plant more water, I was oversaturating the roots, ultimately causing them to rot, and the plant started to die. When I left the plants alone, it allowed the roots to breathe and use up all that extra water and begin to revitalize itself again. This was a reminder to me that God is the one who has authority over growth. 

Recently, I have been trying to push and make some things happen in my life on my timeline. By “overwatering” these things, it is probably causing them to “rot” and not be able to grow the way God wants them to. God’s reminder was a just gentle nudge for me to leave things alone and let them grow naturally in His hands. 

Journal Prompt - Think about a time when you were trying to make something “grow” or happen in your own time. Were you “over-watering” it and causing the thing you wanted so badly to actually “rot” instead? Maybe there is something in your life right now that you want so badly, and you are doing whatever you can to make that happen. Can you trust God and allow yourself to take a few steps back and let Him handle it? Try to leave it in God’s hands and watch Him be in charge of the growth. 

“So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” 

1 Corinthians 3:7

Prayers & Love Always

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Spider plants are a great house plant. Contrary to their name, they have nothing to do with spiders, which I was happy about, as I am not a fan of spiders! Not only are they easy to care for (I learned that hard way - ha!), but they also have a vibrant shade of green that will bring life into your home. Spider plants are pet-safe and also act as air purifiers, providing better quality air for your household. I purchased my spider plants at Home Depot for $20 each.