This summer, I had the man of the house help me put in raised garden beds for all the veggies I hoped to grow. One of the beds was dedicated to climbers like cucumbers, bitter gourd and such. But it took a while for Reuben to find the time to put in a trellis to support the climbers and the plants were pretty well-grown before the work got done.
Yesterday, when the trellis was finally in place, I began to get the climbers attached to it so they could continue to grow on it. One particular plant I had real difficulty with was the Chinese okra! The plant was well-established and had started letting out feelers and was already on its way all over the bed. As i tried to get it to climb on the trellis, I found that the feelers were all curled around the grass on the ground next to the raised bed and it took me quite a while to get them off the grass!
This got me thinking about how like these plants I sometimes was. The plant was made to hold on to something as it grew, but that something that it holds on to must be something strong - something that is able to hold the weight of not just the plant but also the fruit it will eventually bear. How much longer could the plant hold on to blades of grass and hope to thrive? But since there was no trellis in place, it just grasped at what was there, not knowing that a blade of grass was very flimsy support!
I am designed by the creator to be dependent on Him. But often, I hold on to "things" - books, other people etc. to give me the support I should be seeking from the Lord! Such support may look like it is sufficient for the moment, but nothing will ever be good enough to take me through life! I need to cling to the Lord and the Lord alone to truly grow and be fruitful!
The good news is that unlike the trellis that was put in late, the Lord is never absent! He is always there and all I need to do is to seek Him and Hold on to Him to be the most fruitful!
Yesterday, when the trellis was finally in place, I began to get the climbers attached to it so they could continue to grow on it. One particular plant I had real difficulty with was the Chinese okra! The plant was well-established and had started letting out feelers and was already on its way all over the bed. As i tried to get it to climb on the trellis, I found that the feelers were all curled around the grass on the ground next to the raised bed and it took me quite a while to get them off the grass!
This got me thinking about how like these plants I sometimes was. The plant was made to hold on to something as it grew, but that something that it holds on to must be something strong - something that is able to hold the weight of not just the plant but also the fruit it will eventually bear. How much longer could the plant hold on to blades of grass and hope to thrive? But since there was no trellis in place, it just grasped at what was there, not knowing that a blade of grass was very flimsy support!
I am designed by the creator to be dependent on Him. But often, I hold on to "things" - books, other people etc. to give me the support I should be seeking from the Lord! Such support may look like it is sufficient for the moment, but nothing will ever be good enough to take me through life! I need to cling to the Lord and the Lord alone to truly grow and be fruitful!
The good news is that unlike the trellis that was put in late, the Lord is never absent! He is always there and all I need to do is to seek Him and Hold on to Him to be the most fruitful!
