Word prompt--REPLACE
Five minutes to free write about it
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After what I thought was my third failed attempt to get lantana cuttings to grow on my balcony, I noticed a little bit of green in between all the dead leaves and stalks I was about to pull up.
I was so excited, I started planning a post for my other blog (At The Foot Of The Cross) entitled Finding Hope In Unexpected Places.
The next day, I was even more excited to see that not only were the green leaves still green, but there was a very strong lantana aroma, which is what attracts the butterflies and bees.
It was a really hot day, and even though the soil was still moist, and there was rain forecast for later in the day, I watered it instead of trusting in God and nature to take care of it just as they were taking care of the lantana jungle growing outside the front door of my building.
Big mistake! It is now definitely dead. Though a little green still remains, that sweet aroma is gone, and the water pooling in the bottom of the dish under the pot is evidence I have drowned it.
Now I need to replace the title of the post I had been composing in my head to something like Feeling Sad, or Slow Learner.
It reminded me of another time in my life when the Lord wanted to bless me, but I tried to help Him along by manipulating circumstances and trying to rush ahead of His plan. As a result, I missed out on what I thought was going to be an amazing testimony.
In the end it all worked out for good, and maybe the Lord allowed it to happen that way because He had a different, better outcome in mind, but I will never know for sure which way my life would have gone had I not tried to replace His timing with mine.
P.S. Five minutes is not long enough to elaborate, but it's all in my memoir, Sincerely Wrong.
Sandra, I feel your pain, re plants (I've given up on that one) but also in terms of running ahead of the Lord - so many times. Thanks for your honest sharing. I'm facing circumstances now where I need to not run ahead or get frustrated at the lack of change or action. Kath
ReplyDeleteA situation where you just don't know what to do. But God also trusts us to take care of our plants.
ReplyDeleteYou did a good job with the 5 minute writing but maybe not with the lantana. I wouldn't worry about it. We are not allowed to grow lantana because it is invasive. The birds drop the seeds into the native forests and the Lantana takes over and kills the native plants.t
ReplyDeleteYou write 'bout something called lantana,
ReplyDeleteand it goes above my head.
Is it maybe just like manna,
Moses' homies' daily bread?
Or is it like banana that
Belafonte sang about?
He was a cool singing cat,
so I'd give him a happy shout,
but then I went and did research
on everpresent Internet,
and was knocked down from my perch
(yeah, baby, that's the thanks you get!)
from my don't-know-much high tower
to see lantana's cute-ish flower.
Why oh why do we/I tend to feel we must help the Lord out?
ReplyDeleteThis is a fabulous description of getting in the way of something perhaps much better.
Love this post and the illustration.
You never know, the Lantana may still survive..
Sue