2 Amazing Things About Plants

Thanks to those strict quarantine days that rekindled my love for planting and growing plants. It’s amazing to learn how different kinds of plants need different ways of care – lighting, watering, humidity and soil mix.

I have observed 2 amazing things though that are common to all or most plants:

First – all plants grow beautifully when loved. Whoever received my plants would comment with “Wow! It’s beautiful”. Well, the plants themselves are beautiful but their comments usually meant that the plants were grown beautifully!

A friend once asked me, “Why is your plant so beautiful?” I said, “Because I talk to them every day.” Before I send off my plants, I also talk to them and tell them to be ‘good’ and to ‘grow well’. Yes, it’s funny and my daughter has memorized my lines that she sometimes would say them before I do.

Growing plants beautifully is not an easy journey. Here are some tips:

· Learn about their characteristics.

· Place them in the right environment.

· Feed when they are dry.

· Prune for more growth. - This is the painful part. I prune my plants when they have dying leaves and when they are mature enough so that they can produce new stems and leaves.

Isn’t this how God takes care of us too?

Second – most plants have sacrificial leaves. In my first weeks of growing plants, I would feel worried to see one or two leaves suddenly wilting. But then I realized that this happens when they start to grow new leaves and their roots are not yet capable to supply enough water to all the leaves, thus, the older leaves have to sacrifice their water intake and start wilting away.

Isn’t this like the sacrificial love of Christ Jesus? He came to earth to be born and to die for us – sinners, so that we can have an abundant and eternal life.

It’s amazing how plants can reflect the character of their creator. At the end of year 2020, before we hastily flip our life to another ‘page, let us take some moments to list down how Christ has shown his love to us. ‘

And as you start another ‘page’ in year 2021, list down how you can refract the love of Christ to others. If you are a leader – to your members. If you are a teacher – to your students. Parents – to your children. Business owners – employees. Pastors – members. Siblings – other siblings. And Friends – to friends.

Like plants, people grow beautifully when loved. Like Christ, real love needs sacrifice.

Be that someone to reflect and refract the sacrificial love of Christ this Christmas and the coming new year!

Philippians 2:3-4 New International Version

3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

John 15:12-13 New International Version

12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.