More than a Splash

The Internet Cafe is thrilled to welcome Patty Wysong of Patterings!

I love my house plants. They bring me great joy as they thrive, adding color and texture to my home.

Over the years I've noticed that my plants seem to go in cycles—they'll be beautiful for awhile and then they start dropping leaves and getting ugly. One of my favorites is a ming aralia—a miniature palm tree, and it's definitely in an ugly stage right now.

The main trunk is severely leaning and there's a pile of branches around it and more are dropping off. I was pulling off dead leaves and branches, mulling over the idea of composting it and just filling that spot with something else, and that's when my eye caught a sliver of green. Right where the old branches were connected there was new growth pushing up, even before the old was gone.

I'm tired of constantly having to clean up after this little tree, even if it is my favorite, so, I googled to find out what mings need to flourish. I determined that if it this shedding continued I'd toss the plant and move on. My research was a 'duh' moment for me.

What I thought was a cycle of the older branches making way for new growth, turns out to be...not enough water. Can you tell I'm not a botanist?

I don't even have a green thumb, I just happen to have a house that's ideal for house plants.

Yes, my plants go in cycles, and those cycles are directly linked to me. When I remember to water them, they flourish and are beautiful. When I forget to water them for a long period of time, they get ugly, which reminds me to water them--but by then the uglies have set in and I have to deal with ugly consequences.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and in His law he meditates day and night.

And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither;

and in whatever he does, he prospers.

~Psalm 1:2-3

My life is like my house plants.

I need watering from God's Word to flourish.

Without that watering, I get ugly. My leaves wither, turn brown and die, leaving me with a pot full of dead leaves and empty, meaningless 'works.'

Consistent watering is key to healthy healthy Christians. That doesn't mean subsistence amounts of watering--a splash here and a splash there. It means watering on a regular basis. If I do this, when I miss a watering, it's not so life threatening for my plants. It also means the plants can handle the extra heat of summer without much problem.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit. ~Jeremiah 17:7-8

Have I been consistently watering my soul by spending regular time in God's Word, soaking it in? If I haven't, I'm not prepared for the heat life throws at me and I certainly won't be able to bear fruit.

Have I been just quickly splashing my soul, hoping it will be enough? It might be enough to keep me alive, but it's not enough to grow and flourish on. I need to determine to water my soul regularly, so I can grow.

Father, please help me to sink my roots deep into Your Word, so that my soul can be well watered and flourishing with fruit for You. Thank You for Your Word which is refreshment and life.

Patty Wysong is a wife, a home school mom of five, book-keeper of their remodeling business, and an active member of Faithwriters.com. She is also a teacher in her church's children's ministry and is discovering she loves blogging kids' lessons. Her regular Patterings blog is a collection of every day happenings that God uses to teach her spiritual lessons. Join Patty daily at her blogspot;

http://pattywysong.blogspot.com/