Sunday, February 1, 2015

Give of your best

A few days ago I posted a photo of the Christmas cactus, wrote a short blurb, and concluded with
"The plant has been moved, repotted, overwatered, underwatered, chopped back, broken and otherwise abused over the years.  It is at least forty-three years old."

I thought at the time that there was a life lesson there, but I wasn't writing a devotional or self-help article.  So now I choose to revisit the statement in order to extrapolate a lesson.

As we face life, planted where we live and work, perhaps not always by our choice, moved about by the buffeting of life's winds, abused, disrespected, under-appreciated, it might be all too easy to lie down and give it up.

Like the plant, though, it is up to us to persevere, blooming when we can, brightening the corner where we are, as the song suggests.  If you feel it is not worth it to do it for yourself, do it for others.  Therein lies life's true joys anyway.

Happy February First!

13 comments:

Vee said...

Good "sermon" for a Sunday morning. I'll try to apply it to my life.

vanilla said...

Vee, not being preachy, but it is a good thing. Blessings.

kc bob said...

Man! Those words are so good! Thanks for encouraging me today. I need it more than you know.

Lin said...

I've learned that even though you have been chopped up, replanted, re-arranged and/or maybe stuck in a dark corner, it is imperative that you continue to bloom and grow....or you won't survive at all.

A non-bloomer will be tossed into the garbage quickly.

Jono said...

I have usually had this attitude, but you put it so nicely. Thanks!

vanilla said...

KC Bob, happy that the words brighten your day. Keep on keeping on!

Lin, you have taken the analogy to its conclusion. People who do not flourish, like plants are soon discarded.

Jono, I have a friend whose parting words are always, "Keep on the sunny side." Attitude and outlook do determine a lot about how we live.

Sharkbytes said...

Wow... you just brought that hymn into my head "Give of your best to the Master..." I don't think I've heard that sung since I was a child. Maybe I need to think about that one tonight.

vanilla said...

Shark, "Clad in salvation's full armor
join in the battle for truth."

Sharkbytes said...

Yup. I know that looking back with regrets does no good. I'm not doing that. But maybe a little assessing of whether I did give Him the best of my youth. And the second and third verses are not limited to youth. Hymns are full of heavy stuff.

vanilla said...

Shark, your last sentence explains my preference for the hymns as opposed to today's choruses.

Sharkbytes said...

no kidding- I'm a little down tonight... trying to transform that to contemplative rather than discouraged. Thanks for being a friend.

Sharkbytes said...

But to lighten things up, your other friend may know the whole song "Keep on the sunny side, keep on the sunny side, keep on the sunny side of life. You will feel no pain as they drive you insane, so keep on the sunny side of life."

vanilla said...

Sharkey, you have enlightened me, and brightened my day. I did not know the full chorus.