God can do amazing things with people who are broken.
Last summer, I decided it was time to re-pot my aloe plant. It’s not a very pretty plant, but it’s special to me for a couple of reasons. First of all, it’s a natural healer. I break off a piece and use it’s juices to heal burns and scrapes.
It reminds me that our power and our gifts come from the inside not the outside. It also reminds me that there are some things that are much more powerful when they are broken than when they are perfectly put together.
Secondly, that plant belonged to my mother-in-law who passed away ten years ago. When I found it in her laundry room window, it was yellow. It hadn’t been watered in a very long time and I wasn’t sure if I could nurse it back to health.
But, that washed out yellow, plant called to me. I often feel led to nurture all types of living things that have been injured or neglected, and I felt the need to take the plant. I also felt that in a way, it kind of helped her live on here, although she had gone home to be with Jesus.
It took some time, some new fertile soil, some water, and some attention, but that plant turned green again and thrived. As is often the case with living things that grow, it needed more space, and the time had come to re-pot it again.
I got a pot and some new soil and when I went to re-pot it, a good sized piece broke off and fell to the ground. I could have thrown it away, but I just couldn’t. It was healthy and green. I felt that I needed to give it a chance.
I didn’t have another pot, so I gently planted it in the ground of an already established bed. I had no idea whether or not it would grow. I’ve never planted an aloe plant in the ground, but I reasoned that it was in the cactus family and Georgia is very desert-like in the summer.
I am happy to report that the little sprout is thriving in its new spot. It has taken root. It’s green and standing up straight.
As I was watering it the other day, I was reminded that just like that broken piece of aloe, we sometimes find ourselves broken. We sometimes wonder if we will survive the break.
But, if we reach out for Jesus, God will take us and re-plant us in His fertile soil. It may look different from the place we came from. It may even be scary. Growth is often scary. It’s usually much more comfortable to stay in the crowded pot.
But, we are called for much more than status quo. Faith teaches us to trust even when we can’t possibly know the outcome and when we do, beautiful, surprising things can happen.
An aloe plant reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂