my life as an african violet - part 1

not since my days of having to water the plants as a chore have i been very good at keeping plants alive.  at some point in the past year, i received an african violet as a gift.  i was fairly certain i had killed it at one point, but it miraculously came back to life and has been flourishing, so much so that it has quite outgrown the small plastic container it came in.

 
i began to think about finding a nice new pot ... until someone told me that they are very sensitive to transplantation and often don't survive the process.  upon initial research, the task of transplantation became increasingly daunting.  needless to say, it's been a couple of months and my african violet still sits on the kitchen table in its original container.  as i sat there contemplating it while enjoying my coffee this morning, i was thinking that it didn't look too happy and how i really need to take care of it before it's too late.  and then i was struck by the similarities between my life and that african violet.

for starters, we need regular watering ("but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” - john 4:14) and ample [Son]light (“I am the light of the world. whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” - john 8:12).  without these things, our soul quickly withers.  with them, we can experience life abundantly ("I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." - john 10:10).  we must also be careful not to have too much water or light.  that is to say, if there is not proper drainage so that living water can flow through us to others then we become bogged down and moldy, and if we keep all the light for ourselves then we become scorched ("drained of power, dismayed and put to shame. they are like plants in the field, like tender green shoots, like grass sprouting on the roof, scorched before it grows up." - isaiah 37:27)

however, with proper moisture and light, we WILL grow up.  and with growth comes change.  we can not stay in the same pot forever.  but how often, as we begin to consider a necessary change, are we quickly overwhelmed at the prospect?  what if it requires too much of me?  i've already got such a good thing going right here.  but do you really?  if you stay where you are, your roots will become strangled and prone to fungus.  and so i began to research again ...

there was such depth in what i learned that i will save it for another post so as not to overwhelm, and simply leave you with the challenge from my kitchen table ...

with this new year has come such a sense of transition and call to change.  will i heed the call, no matter how daunting it may seem, or will i remain unchanged and risk the cost of stagnation and strangulation?

i believe i see a run to home depot in my near future :)