Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Growin' Like a Herb!

A couple of months ago Nick brought me home five bags of herb seeds: basil, cilantro, dill, thyme, and parsley. While I felt loved by his gesture, I did have a teeny bit of disappointment because I was just planning to go out and buy already-grown herbs. Wasn't sure how I felt about having to start them from seed and wait for them to grow. Now..... it is official.... I'm thankful it's happened this way. God has taught me a lesson in the growing of my herbs.

Though it seemed like it took forever, the little boogers finally sprouted and poked-through the soil. They grew very slowly at first because the weather was not consistently warm. Then as it became a consistent 95+ degrees outside, they shot up tall and healthy. Where at first I was disappointed in their growth, the heat came and turned them into something I was proud of. Then about a week ago I noticed that though they were tall, they weren't very full or thick. They also sort of stopped growing; like they had done enough and wanted to quit. Well, one night I was making some spaghetti sauce and needed to cut some basil. Then I made some tai grilled chicken and needed to cut some cilantro. To my delight,  within one day it became evident that my cutting on those particular herbs had caused them to really thicken up and produce more! Cutting yielded growth. What might have appeared destructive to a young, new plant actually served to make it stronger and more fruitful!

I see my life and my current circumstances so clearly in this plant-picture.
Over the course of years, God has turned the heat up in my life and caused me to grow stronger and more mature in Him. It was not comfortable, but it was necessary. And now, lest I become too comfortable in my relationship with Him and feel that I have "arrived," He has taken His pruning shears to work once more. My circumstances are uncomfortable. The cutting is painful. But, I know that He has a plan and a purpose that is grander than I can see, and I know that I can rejoice in the growth and fruit that will be produced in me as a result of the trials.

 I hope you can relate to this and find encouragement if you're being cut-on right now.

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