pndoverstreet@earthlink.net

I have a horrible confession to make. I kill houseplants. This is not premeditated murder, mind you, but they still die. Rare and lucky is the little plant that lives past its infancy in our house. If the plant doesn't bark or meow, I forget to care for it. This explains the proliferation of plastic foliage throughout our house.

Outdoor plants have a slightly better shelf life, being exposed to natural light and water. Thus, they can grow big and strong, and very noticeably delectable to bunnies who chomp the flowers off, leaving brown and wilting stems that look just like their houseplant cousins. We even had peach and plum trees for a few seasons. The squirrels were delighted that we provided them with such bounty, and showed their thanks by taking one squirrel-sized bite out of each fruit, then bestowing said fruit on our deck (much like a cat leaves unwelcome mouse-catch in your shoes).

However, as much as I’d like, I can’t blame the fruit-thieving varmints, or anything else, for my lack of Martha Stewart-like tenacity in growing enough foliage in my back yard to repopulate the entire rain forest. I very well know that I can’t just jam things into the ground and expect them to grow big and be fruitful, without constant care from me, but that involves feeding, watering, weeding, pruning, and anti-bug spraying. Frankly, I just don’t WANT to!

Thankfully, there is one thing that I can’t kill off. That would be the eternal life that is my gift from God. He doesn’t get lazy or preoccupied, thus forgetting about me. I’ve been permanently grafted onto the Vine that is Christ {John  5:1}. I don’t have to worry about my life becoming brown and wilted, because God provides me with the nutrition of His Word {1 Peter 2:2}. God does the pruning {John 15:2}, Christ does the watering {John 4:14}, and I am blessed by the Spirit producing His fruit in me {Galatians 5:22}. And best of all, as I grow older, I don’t have to worry about spiritual “root-rot” or bug-eaten leaves! Because God’s promise in Psalm 92:14 is that no matter how old and decrepit I get, I shall “still bear fruit in old age.” What an awesome Gardener is our God!