This post made reference to some blogging tips by Pioneer Woman. Allow me to quote her second tip:
2. Blog often.
Whether you write a sixteen-paragraph essay about the cosmic implications of a free market system, a one-paragraph description of what happens to your soul when you walk into your godforsaken laundry room, or a simple photo and caption, consider your blog a precious bloom that requires daily nurturing.
And watering.
If you water a plant once every two weeks, it will shrivel.
Unless that plant is a cactus, and then it would thrive.
And to tell you the truth, I really can’t figure out how a cactus fits into this analogy, so forget I brought it up.
And this was my commentary on that tip.
This is the perfect analogy for me! I have the best intentions of taking care of plants and letting God grow beautiful things, but I do NOT do so good with every day watering. As you can tell by the frequency of my blog posts. But I will try.
Are we remembering this conversation? Good. Now let me share with you a picture of the latest plant gift that someone gave me-- the chrysanthemum Grandmom gave me when they came to visit in August.
Kinda looks like my blog! Not very well tended, and definitely not watered on a daily basis.
(Side Note to Grandmom: Please do not take the condition of this plant personally!! My lack of care for the poor dear has nothing to do with a lack of appreciation for the gift!! I LOVE plant gifts-- it was one of the best things you could have given to me. As you know, I should have listened to you and moved it to the side of the house so I would see it and remember to water it. I have every intention of planting it in the ground soon, where it has a much better chance of survival as it will not have to depend on me for water quite so strongly. Thank you for listening. I love you!)
Lets take a closer look at the poor plant:
Well I'll be darned if that there doesn't look like a second chance! And how beautiful it is. I almost said that this plant gave me a second chance, but we all know better than that by now, don't we? Since it's God who grows things, obviously He gave me another go at this beautiful plant, and I think He may have just done it on purpose. What a beautiful illustration of the second, and third, and fourth, and....millions of chances that He gives us.
So often I screw things up and beat myself up about it, but it all turns out ok! Most of all God gave us His Son so that we could have a chance to spend eternity with Him!! It still blows my mind. Since we choose to do things everyday that hurt God deeply, He chose to make the ultimate sacrifice-- sending His Son to die for our sins-- so that would could have chance to live with God forever. Why would God want to spend eternity with a bunch of wretches that have spent their whole lives hurting Him? I don't know why, but how much MORE hurtful would it be to spit in His face and tell Him we don't want this beautiful gift? Think about it...
But ever since the Lord has redeemed my soul, I continue to screw up every day, but He still loves me!
"Because of the LORD's great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23
As Anne Shirley says "Tomorrow is a fresh day with no mistakes in it yet."
ps- Ironically, I stared writing this post a week ago, and just finished it today.
pps- I guess this is one of those times where I follow item #7 on PW's list-- don't be afraid to embarrass yourself. I was researching chrysanthemums to see if they were perennials and where I should plant it. I found out that a chrysanthemum is the same thing as a Mum! I was kind of wondering, but why would anyone go to all the trouble of saying "chrysanthemum" when you could just say "mum" and everyone would know what you were talking about?
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