The Farm and Garden Magazine - Food For Thought

"In It's Own Time" - Rev. Karen Price

When I go to a nursery - I go straight for the plants that are marked down with a sign placed near them "Just needs a little tender loving care."  My kids know this and encourage me to take in some more plants that need a good home.

One particular day, the manager of the houseplant area saw me coming. I must have had a certain aura, a peculiar look on my face, something that let her know I was a soft touch when it came to these sorry looking plants.

I picked up one and she handed me three more. She implored me to take them and give them a fighting chance at life. I couldn't refuse. Two looked pretty good, but the two others had an appearance that didn't bode well. I left the store with four plants, having spent only $1.06. What a bargain!

Two died within a short time. Nothing I did would give them what they needed. One flourished and became beautiful! The last one, couldn't seem to be able to decide which way to go. For months it remained in the same condition - not dead, but nothing growing or looking particularly healthy either.

I placed it in a beautiful basket, on a sunny windowsill. Only a couple of leaves were unfurled and many others were curled up tight. They refused to open up and be seen. Several time I thought about giving up and throwing it in the garbage. I couldn't do it.

Then one day, all the leaves opened up and it was a sight. That sad looking plant all wrapped up in itself was now the picture of foliage and new growth.

I guess I've had times where I've been all curled up too, refusing to unfold to the world. We have all been wrapped up in our own lives, where there is room for no one else. But, each of us, in our own time, and in our own way comes to fullness-a time of abundant life and joy - a time of growth.

Thankfully, there is One who doesn't give up on us, and doesn't discard us when we fail to show some productivity, some growth in who we are being created to be.

That tells me that we might do better to be patient with ourselves and one another as we find our times to curl up and wait, and our time to unfurl and grow.

Editor's note: Rev. Karen Price will be conducting a Non-Denominational service on Sunday mornings at our National Meetings during Pres. Hochstettler's tenure. She is warm, entertaining, and focused. Her wonderful sense of humor inspired your President to playfully install her additionally to another position, "Chairman of Fun".