I don't have a green thumb. It's
not necessarily that everything I plant dies, but more that I lack the
motivation to take care of my plants once they've been planted.
Nonetheless, like most women, I like flowers and I want my yard to look like
something out of Southern Living (currently, my grass hasn't been mowed in
over 2 weeks and there are dead flowers on my porch...) so sometimes I get
the urge to plant things.
A couple of years ago, I planted four gardenias across the
back of the house with the hope that my yard would be filled with
their heavenly aroma all summer long. Well three out of four
survived and I considered it a victory! Of the gardenias that
survived, there is one that is significantly smaller than the others and it
was planted a little too far over so it sort of gets in the way. I've
considered just pulling it up because, honestly, it looks silly. But, this
summer, God used that little bush to speak truth straight to my heart.
One day I discovered that my little runt had four
beautiful blooms on it while the others had none. As I stood there admiring
them, I was reminded that God isn't threatened by our weaknesses. In fact, His word says that it is through our weaknesses that His strength is made perfect (2 Corinthians
12:9). What I saw as a flimsy twig growing in the ground, begging me to
mow it over, God saw as a strong plant, full
of potential and worthy of all the beauty it was created to possess. I
believe that's exactly how He sees each of us. When He places a calling on our
lives, He equips us with everything we need. He fills in the gaps of our
inadequacies with His perfect strength and creates something beautiful. If I
had pulled that gardenia out of the ground, I would have robbed it of its
purpose, never allowing its beauty to be revealed and I may have never learned
this lesson. A lesson I so desperately need as I navigate God's plan for my
life.
The truth is sometimes I feel a lot like that gardenia, too
small, too inadequate, too weak to make a difference. But, if I allow
those thoughts to rule in my mind, I miss living out the purpose for which
I was created and blessing others with my gifts. We can't let our weaknesses cripple us. Instead, we must turn to the one who's power is activated by our willingness not by our qualifications. God has a purpose and a plan for the smallest, the
weakest and the most unlikely of us all. 1 Thessalonians 5:24 says, "God WILL make this happen, for He who calls you is faithful."
But he said to me, “My
grace i s sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power
of Christ may rest upon me.
2
Corinthians 12:9
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