Turned Upside-down Left In Pot |
I think we were both confused, me because I couldn’t figure
out what I was seeing and the plant bulb because all the blood probably rushed
to its head somewhere around mid-December.
Medicine will tell you a person should not hang upside down for more than
a few minutes but I have no idea how that applies to a tulip bulb that has been
upside down for 3 months. To my mind, he
looked both perplexed and embarrassed.
I know exactly when the poor fellow got turned catawampus though. A couple of weeks before Christmas one of the
squirrels in my hood ventured out of its nest to look for snacks and landed up
on my porch; landed up on my porch and in my potted plants to be more
exact. The wee intruder left a trail of
mischief that involved peanut shells, dirt and an upturned basket of
flip-flops. I swept up after the little
monster and moved pots around so they would be less vulnerable if Mr. Squirrel
returned. I assumed it was a harmless
peanut raid. However, I didn’t realize that Mr. Squirrel had dug up my spring
bulbs and inverted a couple as he foraged for the peanuts he hid. To my
knowledge he didn’t come back, but that thinking is probably naïveté on my
part. The same naïveté coincidentally,
that causes my girlfriend to swear her cats never walk on the kitchen counters when
she isn’t home. I’m not buying it; I saw
that little beast licking a dinner plate above the dishwasher regardless of
what she needs to believe to get by. Satan
cat probably also chews on her toothbrush when she isn’t looking.
I gave the job of rescuing the bulb to my little, who
heroically inverted the bulb and spoke to it in a very reassuring manner. Its leaves look a bit worse for wear but we
are expecting a full recovery. Spring
growth has a way of eclipsing the blemishes and imperfections of nature. This first gardening adventure of the season
got me thinking about unexpected things that spring up from the soil when the
weather heats up. Weeding isn’t my
favorite task in the garden but I do it with some regularity. I’m always surprised how quickly weeds grow
and endlessly surprised as to where they come from. Nature is filled with maniacal forces that
sew weeds every way possible, causing a bumper crop of them regardless of my participation.
Have you ever been surprised by what your actions have
produced my friend, good or bad? Have
you ever watched one of your children behave with astonishing kindness and
wondered what on earth you could have done right in raising them to produce
such an act of grace? Conversely, have
you ever become so unglued that when you regained your sanity that you wondered
what was going on the depths of your soul to cause such dysfunction? Or perhaps
you are in a situation that isn’t as clear cut and you are like my tulip who
was minding its own business when it got turned upside down by someone who intended
evil against you. When the situation
warmed up you found yourself totally unable to rectify the situation.
I have a dear friend who finds herself in exactly this
situation today. One moment she was
walking in good faith with a “friend” and the next she was turned on her head
by an astonishing act of selfish unkindness.
Without any warning, she was left exposed, looking foolish and without
the resources or reserves to change her situation. Kind of like my tulip. It’s pretty hard to get your face out of the
dirt and plant your feet when you lack arms, thumbs or any understanding of how
you got messed over.
My friend, if you find yourself in that place, can I
encourage you today? Your situation is
known by God. One of his names is El Roi
which translates “the God who sees me.” You
can find the first usage of that name in Genesis 16 by a woman whose situation
far exceeded her abilities to deliver herself. Rest assured God knows the reality of your
pain even more than you do. He promises
not to leave you, to take the evil used against you and to work it for your
good.
That might not be the answer you want. You might want immediate deliverance.
If I had preached this to myself a year ago, I would have
screamed, “I’m not interested in God being with me, I just want to be delivered
from this mess.” I have cried myself to sleep countless nights,
begging God to take away a situation he had no intention of removing until his
faithfulness in the trial drowned out my fear of the trial. It was a difficult time.
So this week I am praying with this scripture in mind,
I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from
all my fears. Psalm 34:4
If you find yourself in a situation that causes you to fear,
might I remind you that God is interested in building your faith? Actually, not interested, that word doesn’t
even come close. Invested, dedicated,
committed, these words come closer.
Instead of praying not to be afraid, why not change it up a bit. Ask to learn the lessons that are taught in times of suffering. Pray for boldness. Pray for courage. Pray for his peace.
You will come through this season. It will not last forever. God sees you.
He is working on your behalf. He
is bigger than your fear.
xoxKaren