Listen to this post
I have to tell you about this plant; it was 8:30 at night, and I just couldn't shake the feeling: “You’ve got to do something, Nancy. You’re going to lose this plant.”
I headed to the store in a bit of a panic, looking for a heavy clay pot to save my eight-foot rubber plant. But standing there, I just glazed over. The tools felt like they weighed a hundred pounds, and I realized I couldn't manage a heavy pot alone. I pivoted. I chose a simple white plastic pot, grabbed some fresh soil, and went home to get to work. As an inspirational composer, I often find that God speaks through these small movements of the heart, and that night, I felt He was giving me a little extra strength.
My vaulted ceilings were barely high enough for this giant. When I finally pulled it out of the old pot, I discovered the poor thing was literally drowning; my water meter went off the charts. I repotted it with vermiculite for drainage and moved it to a quiet corner where I felt the Holy Spirit leading me—a peaceful spot near some "companion" plants where it could rest. At the time, the bottom three feet of the stalk were completely bare. It had lost so many leaves, and I wasn't sure it would make it.
Signs of New Life
That was around Christmas, and just a few weeks later, something miraculous happened. The water levels settled, and suddenly, the trunk began to burst with life. There are now ten brand-new shoots growing all the way up that bare stalk! I call it my "fighter" plant because of its incredible will to survive. I didn’t even want this plant at first, but now I love it for its strength.
This rubber plant has become one of my most meaningful platforms of praise. It reminds me so much of our own lives. We all go through seasons of crisis where we feel cramped or like we are drowning in our problems. We might look "bare" to the world, but even in the middle of despair, God is working beneath the surface.
There is hope in every single situation. The Lord is always working to bring us into His light for His growth and His glory. He takes the parts of our lives that feel broken and, through His steps to joy, makes them new again. He turns our crisis into a beautiful update of new life.
Reflection:Is there an area of your life that feels "bare" or overwhelmed today? Trust that the Master Gardener is not finished with you yet. New shoots are coming.
