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Bread for the Journey

I love this plant.
OK.. I know you have seen a healthier potted Impatiens, but let me tell you why I love it.
When it came to me in April as a gift from friends,
its rich green leaves crowded for space in a profusion of deep pink blooms.
I do not have a green thumb; so plants have to have some inner resilience of their own.
This plant over the last months has bloomed and bloomed putting ever so many smiles on my face.
But there have been times when leaf and bloom hung as a result of 'drought' in the pot -
but when I mercifully remembered the needed water
it happily raised itself up and continued to delight me.
Then, came the day when I thought I surely had lost it.
About three weeks ago leaves and flowers fell off
and the plant looked like it was on its way out with other summer pots
that were in the throes of end-of-season death.
But I was reluctant (perhaps because of the guilt of knowing neglect) to just throw it out.
It looked hopeless but I took it inside and gave it some water.
The photo shows how the plant responded.
Amazing, isn't it ?

I was looking at this plant and thought about how important water is to this plant --
and the life-giving effect water has on even a dying plant !
My plant needs water to grow.
How often and how faithfully it is given water determines the growth rate --
somewhere between survival and thriving!

So it is with my spirit.

It has a God-given resilience but how it grows/survives/thrives is up to me.
Do I give it the water of life ?
Jesus said He is the water that we need!
How often, how faithful am I in spending time in God's Word,
in lifting my voice in prayerful relationship with Him ?
I think of times in my life where through neglect I have allowed my spirit to droop,
and even come close to dying.
But, it is never too late to drink of the Water of Life
and restore it to health and thriving growth once again !

Rev 21:6
" I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.
I will give to him that is thisty of the fountain of the water of life freely."

7 comments:

  1. I have often done the same thing with plant AND spirit! I can't think of a better picture than the one you shared today. Hopefully I will remember the lesson with every drooping leaf ... which will be more often than I care to admit! But if it stirs my heart to run back to the Water of Life again, then so be it.

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  2. Great story and thoughts. Not to be nitpicky, but as a plant-lover this looks more like a variety of impatiens rather than an azalea.

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  3. Phyllis, you are right! I will correct my post! thank you !

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  4. I AM NEW TO YOUR BLOG AND I JUST LOVE IT, YOUR IMPATIENS ARE JUST BEAUTIFUL.....JUST KEEP WATERING THEM. TAKE CARE......RIZZI
    GIFTS FROM THE SEA

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  5. He is the Vine through which we receive the nourishment to refresh our souls... lovely post, thanks.

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  6. JULIE JUST KEEP DOING THE WORK BECAUSE WE ALL NEED, IT GOD BE WITH YOU ALWAYS

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