Celebrating Life
If you have read my posts, you know I am an adamant Pro-Lifer. It extends into my life in other ways as I have written before. My living room jungle testifies to my inability to get rid of bits of plants and the propensity to successfully propagate the smallest plant nub into a thriving houseplant. (With the Lord’s help of course!)
The top picture is the plant given to us by a dear friend who has since passed. Every year the plant honors her memory with its sweet fragrance as her sweet life refreshed those who were privileged to know her. You may not be able to tell from the picture, but the plant had begun to bunch up at the bottom. Time to separate!
I watched several videos about propagating Easter lilies. Each one said to separate the bulbs into a few pieces. Naturally, I tore those suckers down to the nitty gritty – even the smallest scales were carefully separated. Every healthy scale and every puny scale was placed in a storage box with loose peat and some potting soil. I made layers of scales and potting mixture, sprinkled the dirt with a fine mist, covered the box with plastic wrap, and shoved it under the spare bed. I prayed my little ones would survive and thrive.
I waited over a month to check on them. Mostly because I forgot they were there! Tonight I remembered my experiment and pulled the box from the back room. Imagine my delight when culm after culm was sprouting a tiny new plant! I hope to have many of them rooted well enough by my Celebrate Life party in November to give a plant to each family that attends. In the meantime, they are getting some more growing time under the bed as each develops a longer and stronger root system and a lovely white little bulb of its own.
Which brings me to the object lessons of the day. For me, the experiment reminds me to value life. Even the most insignificant can flourish when given the proper base in which to root. It takes time for new growth, new habits, new friendships.
2 Peter 3:18 admonishes us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Paul prayed in Colossians 1:9-10 that believers would “be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” ESV
In Ephesians 3, Paul prayed that believers would be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ would dwell in our hearts through faith, that we would be rooted and grounded in love to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, and that we may be filled with God’s fullness.
From the words in that last set of verses, I think I have more ‘under the bed’ grow time required!
Philippians 1:6 is a neat promise. “I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
I am sure of this – it will take until eternity for me to become a mature follower of God!
Blessings
KB
