Lessons in Nature

Yesterday God put a lesson for my kids right in my shopping cart.  Monday is Errand Day at the Kramer house so we ran to a few places, including the grocery store.  While at the store, we came across some sad, pathetic, limp little hydrangeas.  They were marked down from $9.99 each to $0.99 each.  I immediately start looking them over one by one.  Adam is standing there with pre-teen grump written all over his face.  His whole attitude screamed “Mom I think you are nuts and why are you wasting MY time?”  Meanwhile the girls are chanting “Dead flowers, dead flowers, dead flowers” over and over again.

After looking over the plants, I chose three and put them in my cart.  The kids were astonished.  Mom, why are you buying dead flowers?  I told them that I could get them looking good again.  Yeah.  First disbelief flickered across their faces, followed by excited grins from the girls – “Mommy is a genie” they said.

Smiling, we took our groceries and our three pathetic little plants home.  I asked Adam to place them on the deck.  We made lunch and cleaned up. After lunch I asked them if they wanted to help me plant the flowers.  They were definitely up for that.  I planted two in containers with my secret weapon.  The third I left on the deck railing in it’s original plastic container.

We watered all three of them and then set them in various places – one by the deck door, one in the flower bed in the yard, and finally the third still on the deck railing.

This morning after breakfast, we went out to water all the potted plants.  Imagine the kids surprise when they walked out onto the deck and saw that the first hydrangea sitting in it’s pot by the deck door was perking up.  It still had a few dead leaves on it, but the others were standing straight and tall and the leaves were thick and lush.  We went to water the other one in the pot in the yard.  Same scenario.  Then we came to hydrangea #3 on our deck railing in the little plastic pot it came in.  It was sad – it’s poor little leaves actually looked worse than yesterday.  It was starting to brown and none of the leaves were standing tall anymore. 

The lesson came to me in an instant – I explained to the kids that the two plants in potting soil (and my secret weapon) were similar to a person who chooses to live their lives for Christ.  The third little plant is similar to a person who chooses a life away from Christ.  The fundamentals for what a plant needs is exactly what a person needs:

A Firm Foundation

For the plant, a firm foundation consists of good potting soil.  For the person, a firm foundation is the Bible.  Reading, studying, and memorizing the Word helps a person keep their feet on solid ground.  Keeping God’s Word in your heart helps you stand tall as a child of God.

Hydration

For the plant, the hydration comes in the form of water and the nutrients in the potting soil.  For the person, hydration can come in the form of worshipping at church on Sunday.  A way to get your Spirit refreshed.

Sunlight

Just as the plant needs the sun to grow, people need the Son to grow.  Without the sun to provide the plant with the light it needs to flourish, it will wither and die.  Without the Son to provide people with the Light it needs to survive in a dark world, they will wither and die.

So three $0.99 plants, some potting soil, and God helped me teach my children a tangible lesson.

By the way – we’re not going to let the little 3rd plant suffer – he’s going to get planted too!