Growing Through Changes

My mom is an incredible flower gardener. I recently went for a visit back home, and her flower gardens were immaculate. Not a single weed to be found, no dead leaves or flowers on the plants, and everything was perfectly spaced. Her plants looked really happy!

I want what she has, but, to be honest, my flower gardens don’t look nearly as good as hers, especially after being gone for a week. I need to pull some weeds and get rid of some dead things.

But I know those flower gardens don’t get to be so healthy and beautiful on their own. It takes a lot of work!

My mom goes out every morning and waters them, picks off the dead stuff, and pulls out weeds. She’ll spend an entire day replanting an entire bed, moving plants around to give them more space, replacing ones that aren’t healthy, and adding new ones that she likes. She makes sure they get the right amount of sun, water, and fertilizer.

Having a healthy flower garden takes commitment and willingness to do the work.

Aren’t we just like those flowers that need constant care to make sure we grow strong, healthy, and beautiful?

Every day we need to check in with ourselves to make sure we’re nourishing ourselves, not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as well. What are the messages that are pouring into our lives?

Do we start the day by picking up our phones and jumping into social media? Or do we make time for God’s voice to fill us before we start the day?

Do we listen to the voices of the world around us telling us what we should do and who we should be? Or do we take time to get quiet and listen to the voice inside telling us what we need and what’s important to us?

We need to regularly check in with ourselves and see where the weeds are growing and need to be pulled. What we focus our attention on will grow in our life. What is choking out the most important things in our lives?

What gets the most attention? Our to-do lists and constant incoming messages on our phones? Or face-to-face time being truly present with our loved ones? Focusing only on what we want or searching out ways to serve others?

Sometimes plants outgrow their space and stop growing. They need to be transplanted to another space with more room for their roots to grow so the plant can become stronger and healthier. If they stay where they are, they will eventually shrivel up and die.

Change is good for plants, just like it is for us.

Change can be really hard, but it’s through these hard times that we grow stronger, healthier, and more beautiful. Often we don’t want to change, but God doesn't allow us to stay where we are. He doesn’t want us to stay stuck, to be choked out by weeds, to shrivel up and die.

God is the perfect gardener who knows just what we need and takes loving care of us so that we continue to grow.

What is one thing you could do today to nurture yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually to help yourself grow?