Giving and receiving flowers I believe carries such great sentiment. Depending on the color and cordination of a bouquet of flowers, a person can convey a thousand words. Blue flowers are asscoiated with love while yellow flowers convey a message of friendship and also joy. It is said “a picture is worth a thousand words” and I would dare say the same thing about flowers.
Flowers are attendants at every event on the planet earth- they are present at funerals, romantic functions, graduations- you name it and you have probably had a floral center piecce as decoration. There are holidays/special days where specific flowers are used in celebration- valentine’s day and the red roses. It is actually expected by many women that their partner present them with flowers in a show of love, adoration, and affection whether it be the first date or six year anniversary. But have we ever stopped to examine that these bouquets though beautiful and at the height of their life have met their death?
Yes, they are beautiful but guess what? They have no roots. They have been cut from their source, and are no longer able to receive nutrients. They look good but it is guaranteed that in a few days, there will be signs that their life line has been removed. Many of us have wondered how do we know that we are growing? How do we know that their is development? and for us Christians, how do we know that we are still connected to the source (The Lord Jesus)? How do we know that we are grounded?
Cut flowers have presented themselves as a wonderful parallel to analyzing growth in one’s life. Growth according to the dictionary speaks to “the process of increasing in physical size or developing or maturing physically, mentally, or spiritually.”. If there is no increase it simply means there is no growth. What I really want to bring to our attention is that even in the midst of death, and being cut off we may look good for a period of time. A person who has passed away, though buried in the ground will take a few days before decaying. Regression always begins to occur. Some will say stagnation- but the thing is- anything that is stagnant is guaranteed to get worse. It simply means that you are at a stand still, as a result of that, whether you like it or not- you will regress. If you put a pot of water outside, because of the fact that its not flowing, it is open to infestation. As time progresses that pot of water will eventually get worse- hosting bacteria of all kinds- imagine the smell of that pot of water after a few days? Drinking from that pot of water will guarantee you a trip to the emergency room. God taught us this principle in creation- there is no body of water, He created that is at a stand still (thanks to the wind).
As Christians we need to ensure that we are connected to our source. I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown out like a [broken off] branch, and withers and dies; and they gather such branches and throw them into the fire, and they are burned (John 15:5 AMP).
It would be a shame if we are cut flowers walking around, without realizing that we are not connected to God.
There are many of us who are experiencing dead periods in our lives right now, and that is not an indication that we are cut flowers. If you have found yourself in a dead situation, and can still say there is growth occurring here- then that is a definite sign that you are still rooted and grounded. I was watering some roses at home the other day and (I must admit that I don’t really have a green thumb) I remember looking at the flowers, which were drying up and saying to my aunt “the roses are dying”. Her question to me was “is the flower dying or is it the plant that it is attached to?”. The plant itself was in fact healthy, the blossom dying was never an indication that the plant had been cut from the root. It was a testament to the fact that the plant was experiencing transition and going through a new phase. So, while there was death occurring above ground, because the plant was firmly rooted life was guaranteed, and a new blossom was bound to emerge.
That is how it is with us. We go through various changes, seasons, and situations. We sometimes feel lifeless, and we beat ourselves up for not seeing the blossoms that we once had. We compare who we were, to who we are now and then frustration sets in, and we wonder: Am I growing? If I am, then why do I feel so dry? Why am I not as luscious and beautiful as I was?
As I sit here and look at the ravine by my house, I see a host of bare trees currently hunkered down for winter, conserving their water and energy, waiting for spring to come, so they can stretch and sprout new leaves. Transition is a part of life and nature teaches that. Look for those areas of development, look for those areas of growth, appreciate them, appreciate the transitions- because as long as you see these signs, rest assured that you are not cut flowers.
Sincerely,
Ashley Keene #followerofChrist
PS: This post began in the summer and I finished it today Nov. 23. 2017.
