Gratitude Day 315

Fri., Aug. 9, 2019

Ezekiel 19:10 – Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, planted beside the water. The vine had many branches and gave much fruit, because there was plenty of water.

I love summertime flowers.

I LOVE hydrangeas. I LOVE zinnias. I LOVE having flowers in the house and outside the house.

As much as I love flowers, I also LOVE having beautiful non-flowering summer plants as well. My favorites? Coleus and sweet potato vine.

Both plants have many fun and different colors and shapes. They are also stunning together. This is why I love to pair them together in pots on our beautiful front porch.

About a month ago, we had multiple days of very warm weather. You could almost watch the coleus and sweet potato vine grow daily. The plants went from cute little guys swallowed up by the larger pots to nearly taking over the porch. They are quite striking in their appearance right now.

However, with bigger plants means they require more water. While the pots are decent sized, the plants have gotten so big they drink up every bit of water given to them.

One great thing about coleus and sweet potato vine? When they are thirsty, they let you know. They simply curl up their leaves and not-so-quietly say, “I’m a little parched right now. Could you give me a drink?”

Our porch faces the west. Every afternoon by 3 PM, the leaves on the plants are speaking to us, longing for a wet drink of water. Literally within minutes of receiving the water, the leaves uncurl, spread back out and let their beauty sing all over again.

Every day, this happens. Literally. If I am not home for a day or two, I’ll ask Hubby Rick to water the plants. Recently he asked, “Every day? They have to be watered every day?”

Yep. Every day.

Likewise, our souls need watering every day. Well, at least my soul does. If I go more than 24 hours (well, really more like one hour) without connecting with God, I find myself drying up. The leaves of my patience, compassion and attitude begin to curl up and become more interested in protecting myself than looking for where God wants me to shine and show God’s beauty to someone else. But when I take a long drink of the trough of communication with God, I discover more peace. More acceptance. More joy.

Just because I reconnect with God and spend some time going back to the One who created me does not mean I expect God to be at my beck-and-call. I am humbled daily when I realize that God knows my limits and abilities so much better than I do. God understands my warts and vulnerable spots. God also is ready to help me work through them … especially when I refresh myself with just even a minute or two of prayer, re-centering myself and a word of God in my life.

If the plants need daily nourishment and water, why should my soul be any different?

It’s when I go through droughts of time without God in my life that I find myself becoming more self-centered, shallow and looking for ways that I have been wronged. Just like the plant leaves, I need a daily reminder of refreshment from something outside of myself that keeps me grounded in where my strength comes from.

As I watered the plants just yesterday, this little message became so terribly poignant to me. For another reminder to water my soul daily, I am grateful.

Gracious God – thank you for longing and yearning to water my soul regularly and consistently. I pray that I make this a consistent and important part of my daily living. Amen.

Blessings –

Dianne

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