Monday, April 29, 2013

Succulents


Succulents

Have you noticed the new trend with Succulents? I first noticed it when I was in California last Fall. They were everywhere. Well, you know, in all the cool shops, like 7 Blue Chairs, the vintage dream-come-true shop of my wonderful friend Chris (I-can-spin-ten-plates-in-the-air-all-at –once) Blue. She’s always the trendsetter, in fashion, in home décor, heck, in pretty much everything. She’s a one of a kind. And she’s my kinda girl.  Oh, did I mention that she has five cutey kiddos?
Chris is a succulent.
 Succulent? you ask. Maybe you’re thinking of something juicy and tasty, which is a good thought, but I’m talking about plants “with fleshy water-storing parts”. Can you tell that my Caroline showed me how to access the dictionary and thesaurus while typing? Wow. Now that is fun. I feel tech-savvy right now. Ok, it’s over. But it felt good for just a moment there.
Maybe you don’t know this little secret about me. This citified farmer’s daughter has a degree in Vocational Agriculture Education, with an emphasis on Horticulture…so I know my succulents.
They’re like cactus (are able to go a really long time without a drink of water) but they don’t have prickly parts. Just soft cool-looking leaves, full of life-giving water parts.
Cacti are super hardy and tenacious. Two excellent traits. For people with “black” thumbs, they’d  be a great choice. No fear of killing a cactus…. except by over-watering, of course They’re perfect in the desert. ( Infact  my all time favorite devotional is called “Streams in the Desert”. I have worn out two hard back copies. If you find yourself in a desert season of life, now would be a great time to pick up a copy.)

People are drawn to succulents. If ya happen to be people watching at a nursery… but who does that, but me?... just watch ‘em  and you’ll see people reaching down and giving a gentle almost affectionate little squeeze to those thick little leaves. They just beg to be touched. People are drawn to the life in them. They want to touch it. They want to own it. They want to know that in the hard, incomprehensible times they’ll have what it takes to make it through. They’ll have that reserve, like the succulent.

Cacti have the same ability to hold a reserve of water and survive in the “dry” times. But nobody’s reaching out and touching them. They don’t seem to represent life like their cousin the succulent. I think you know why. Cause they’re prickly . Hey, maybe they’re lonely too cause nobody wants to know them or touch them or emulate them.

Maybe you know someone(s) who is prickly. Maybe you’re prickly. I know I certainly can be prickly. Back in my hormonal days I was prickly quite often. But I’d give Mr. Ten Days fair warning. Watch out! Feelin Prickly today! Steer clear!

The genius is to not let prickly become your state of being. Which in this world of dishes and diapers and sleep deprivation, prickly can become the norm. Problems that take way too long to be solved, dwindling financial resources, raising teenagers, miscommunication with your “beloved”, etc. etc. etc. all add up to one prickly momma.

I guess the only way to change from a cactus to a succulent is to allow someone far enough into your heart and your life to begin the tricky and tedious  but loving task of removing the spikes from your very tender self. Maybe it’s a wise, trusted friend, or maybe it’s God Himself.

That, or a big dose of some really good hormone medicine




Monday, April 22, 2013

Where's the Tomatoes?


Ehhh, you’ve probably heard it before, perhaps from the pulpit. “If we truly reap what we sow, some of you out there better start praying for crop failure.”

Yeh, well certainly before August 1978, (yep, it’s been that long) I definitely sowed some seeds that I am glad never sprouted. But ever since that fateful day when I knelt by my bed and offered up my own rendition of “the sinner’s prayer”, “Lord, this is really hard for me…to turn my whole life, every bit of it over to you. But, I realize you probably couldn’t screw it up more than I have.” Have you ever heard such a great prayer of faith and trust!? I realize it wasn’t filled with faith or Trust, but God in His mercy and sense of humor, let me in anyway. (I won’t get into how I feel about that cause my eyes will be so filled with tears I won’t be able to see the keyboard.) He didn’t see me that day the way I was. He saw what he could do with a finally surrendered heart.  He had the big picture.

In the darkest moments of my life, which happened to be after I gave it all to Jesus…hmmm, I’m thinking that’s not the way it’s supposed to be. The sinner’s prayer is supposed to be my “get outa jail free” card. This earth and all its junk and  all its pain will now be a walk in the proverbial park. Oh, that’s right, that’s what I wanted to believe, and truth be known what a lot of people led me to believe. When right there in His How-to-live-in-a-fallen-world handbook it says, very clearly that we will suffer trials and persecutions.  In those darkest moments and in some tough places since, He has always, by His mercy, given me the big picture. And it’s made all the difference.

My crop of hopes and dreams are like when I plant those delicious Heirloom tomatoes and up comes Brussels sprouts or lima beans, or bokchoy...when my careful planting and pruning and watering yields some foreign food. Now, actually I happen to like Brussels sprouts and lima beans (no idea about bokchoy, but it sounds gross) but if that’s not what I was expecting….I don’t sit around googling Brussels sprout recipes. I sit around wondering what the heck went wrong, and, unfortunately there is usually some complaining involved.

Why did my crop fail? I prayed, and prayed hard, mind you. I did everything the manual said. Okay, maybe I didn’t follow it perfectly all the time, but man, I sure followed it more than well enough to get me some tomatoes! And some really nice sweet glossy red ones too!

And here’s the real sting of it all. This is not the first time I’ve had what seemed to be a crop failure. And each time, it stings a little more. Cause each time it waters my disappointment. “But I was so sure about this crop, I took even greater care this time. What’s going on here?”


Sure, I could find some recipes for my surprise crop, and it just might taste pretty good, but that’s not the point. I want what I planted. I wanted it last time …and the time before that, too! Frankly, I’m pretty sick of this little drill. This wasn’t what I was expecting. Ahhh,  those ever-present, persistent expectations… will I ever learn?

So up from my “garden” I look and ask Him to give me the big picture. Getting to see how God was arranging even the toughest of times into a beautiful field of redeemed circumstances, furrow after gently tilled furrow, gave this weary farmer renewed hope.
 Ohhhh, now I see. Oh, ok, I get it.  Oh, you’re making this totally delicious enormous pot of  soup that calls for all sorts of vegetables. The great blend of all my supposed crop failures is making it more savory and more nutritious every time….oh, I see. Now I see the big picture. I see all those people eating it too. They were hungry and tired. Now they’re full and rested. My vegetable garden really isn’t about me, is it?

Oh, Lord, you were just trying to get me to work along side you…and I was trying to get, well, what I wanted.