The Best Worst Gift
By Carolyn Hulliberger
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
2 Corinthians 5:17
Every year for Mother’s Day, my children have a tradition of giving me a hanging plant for our front porch as a gift. I look forward to seeing what they select…will it be vibrant pinks or brilliant purples? Maybe soft blue buds with cheery yellow flowers? This year was a little different. As my son brought in the plant…covered for its grand unveiling…he left a trail of disintegrating foliage from the garage to the kitchen. His pride was evident as he removed the bag covering a large plant. “Look what we picked out, Mom. Isn’t it great?” I thought to myself, “Is he talking about this mostly-dead, dried up, bloomless piece of organic material, which the tag says is supposed to be a fuchsia?” It was the Charlie Brown Christmas tree of hanging plants.By Carolyn Hulliberger
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
2 Corinthians 5:17
That afternoon, I hung my new gift with a bit of internal grumbling. I had to put it up or risk hurting the kids’ feelings. They didn’t see that this neglected plant was ugly and struggling for life, only that it was their gift to me. With severe doubts that salvage was possible, I grabbed the pruners and started to work. As I pulled off dead blooms, trimmed back hardened ends, and untangled the branches of this plant, I heard a whisper in my heart that said, “It’s kind of like that for Me…with you.”
That plant is like our lives. Before we submit to God, many of us have lives of tangled, half-dead messes. But once we allow Jesus to take the pruners and cut out the dead leaves, pinch off the lifeless blooms, and pour onto us overflowing Living Water, He promises that new life will fill us. He never doubts that salvage is possible. What was once disintegrating and dying becomes beautiful and alive again under the care of the Master Gardener.
And, the fuchsia, you wonder? It’s still blooming!
GOING DEEPER:
1. Are there areas of your life that need a gardeners’ touch? Some attitudes that need to be cut out? Allow God to start pruning.
Further Reading:
John 4:4-15
Along with caring for her husband, two children and the dog, Carolyn is an Office Representative for State Farm Insurance, serves as a small group leader for Wednesday p.m. Bible study, and is the treasurer for Women’s Ministries.
