Hydrangeas

One thing I have come to realise over the last few years when I’ve been gardening is that not all plants require the same amount of work. Like the tree we thought was dead, some plants just need to be left year in and year out and without fail each spring they begin to show evidence of new life all on their own. My lilies that I have been growing over the last 5 years or so, flower each summer with beautiful colour. As summer ends they dry up and break off. If you didn't know any better you'd think that was them gone for good. However, each spring a new green shoot begins to appear from the soil (if they survive Calums over-enthusiastic weeding) and after a few weeks the buds appear ready for even more flowers than the previous year. I don't need to add anything to this process, except maybe keep reminding Calum where they are so he doesn't pull them out!

Alas I have these other shrubs, hydrangeas that I just cannot get to flower the way they should. These shrubs I brought with me from our old house almost 9 years ago. One I received as a gift when Micah was born because of it’s baby blue flowers. Each spring they look dead and then at the last minute a few measly green leaves appear on the base of the shrub and I begin to get excited and think maybe this year will be the year they grow and flower like they once did. However, as the summer disappears, the shrubs continue to look very sad, showing very little evidence of life. The leaves have tiny little holes all over them showing that something has been eating them and there is never any sign of something that may have become a flower.

This year I decided I was going to try and rescue them and do my best to help them grow. Over lockdown I have been watering them with special feed every week or so to provide them with the right environment for them to grow. Apparently they need acidic soil in order for them to flourish the way they should so I have been doing my best to provide this for them. A few weeks ago I noticed some leaves growing again from the base of the shrub. This year I am ready and I have purchased a spray to protect the leaves from any insect or fungus that might be killing my shrub just as evidence of life is seen. I was showing my Mum them this morning and we noticed a few leaves had holes in them so we put some slug pellets around it and I sprayed the leaves once again to protect them from any insect. Who knows, if I keep this up I might end up with some flowers this year, if not I’ll be delighted with big bushy shrubs covered in green healthy leaves. Maybe I need to keep this up for the next few years before I’ll get flowers once again.

These shrubs remind me of the christian life. Some Christians require more work and care than others. Some Christians manage to grow year in and year out regardless of their surrounding environment and continue to produce much fruit for God no matter what circumstances they face. Many Christians however find it hard and in the wrong environment begin to slowly show signs of a life that isn't flourishing for God, myself included. As sin is allowed free reign over my life, my desire to read God's word and pray begin to diminish. As I live once again pleasing myself and putting my wants and needs first before God, the desire for God and His word fade within me. I know if I want to grow in my journey as a Christian then I need to make sure that I am in the right environment to help me flourish. Instead of insects and fungus eating away at the leaves, what sin in my life is destroying any sign of spiritual life in me? It's one thing to know what these sins are, it’s another thing doing something about them. I’ve known over the last few years that something has to be done to save those shrubs. It's just taken me till this year to do something about it. Some days I think ‘Oh I need to feed those shrubs again’, but I just can't be bothered and put it off for a day or two. I can do the same in my own life to. I know where the problem in my life is and what I need to do about it but I just want to put it off for a little while longer.

I think of Matthew 15 and the parable of the sower sowing the seeds. I think of this in relation to those who hear the gospel preached and are almost persuaded to become a christian but something comes along and distracts them or puts them off from doing so. Sometimes it might be someone that has made a profession of faith but soon after when something comes into their life they give up and immediately turn back to their old life. I have all these examples and scenarios in my head that fall into each category in Matthew 15.

But what about me? I forget about the times in my life when no fruit is produced. There aren't any thorns growing in and around my shrubs that are choking them and preventing them from flourishing but yet something is still stopping them from reaching their potential. Like my shrubs I can look back on my life and see the all too many times in my life where I have failed to produce any fruit for God and achieve God’s potential in my life. To be honest I could probably tell you the things in my life that were causing that to be the case. Sometimes I recognise fairly quickly where I'm at spiritually and make the necessary changes, other times it takes a bit longer for me to realise that I have become so bogged down and almost lifeless and I take the ‘I can't really be bothered’ attitude and put off correcting the sin and areas of my life that need correcting. The question is, am I content to keep looking like those shrubs in my garden? - measly, half eaten and bearing no flowers? Or am I longing for something more? Am I settling for less than God’s best in my life or do I want a life that will flourish with divine life? Not a worldly, self- pleasing life, full of material things, relationships, success and popularity. But do I long for a life full of Christ likeness that points others to Him? Am I willing to make the changes in my life and environment in order to help achieve this?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Galatians ch 5 22-23.