Flower Power…er…

So, about halfway through this week, I hit an energy slump.

Okay, who am I kidding? I started my week with my feet dragging. I’m surprised I haven’t left a trail of scuff marks from Monday to today. 

Which is why it was so fitting when I found the flowers at my work desk looking like this:

Funny or what? I’m the white flower, saying, “Aw, come on, I just want a nap.” (I would marry my pillow if it meant we’d get to spend more time together.)

But it’s amazing what a little snip here, a little water there can do. One of my coworkers did a minor outpatient surgery on my sad tulip and the next day, we found  it like this:

Pretty, yeah? And perky. And look how much it opened up?

The metaphor here is so obvious, I shouldn’t even spell it out, but here goes anyway: We need water, friends. The liquid stuff, sure, but I’m talking the kind of spiritual water Jesus introduced to the Samaritan woman at the well.

I love what Jesus says to her: “If you had any idea of the gift of God, who it is here asking you for a drink, you would have asked for living water…Drink the stuff from this well, and you’ll get thirsty again. But I can give you living water and you’ll never thirst again.” (My paraphrase of John 4: 10, 13-14)

And we need…pruning. Jesus talks about that, too, in the very next chapter in John:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” (verses 1-2)

The common denominator here: Our Father God. He’s my thirst-quenching water. He’s the gardener growing life in me.  I could nap from now to next week, but it won’t give me the spiritually-charged energy Jesus does.

How cool, then, that my coworker’s flowers looked like this a couple days ago:



A cross!

What do you do when you find yourself in the old foot-dragging routine? How do you fill up with God’s living water? Has He ever done any pruning in your life you’d like to share? And just for the record, despite my lousy flower care, I’ll have you know I have eight plants at home doing just fine…except…all right, yes, they need a good watering…

p.s. Thanks to my coworkers for a) watching out for my tulips and b) not laughing at me each time I took out my phone to snap a photo, saying, “Ahh, I’m going to blog about this!”

p.p.s My apologies to any Calvinists out there who may feel I’ve missed a perfectly good opportunity to use the TULIP acronym to talk through the five points of Reformed theology. 

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    Comments 14

    1. Okay, I love that the two wilted and tired flowers are the white ones, the pure Bride needing refreshed from the RED tulip standing tall and needing nothing. A beautiful, beautiful thing.

      I’m thirsty, but I’m gonna have another cup of cawfee! 🙂

      Reply

    2. Yay, don’t you just love when something in life inspires your blog posts like this? 😛

      And yes, I have realized that true rest is in Him. Sometimes, when I feel tired, it isn’t necessarily my body that needs the rest, but my spirit. And the best way to get that rest is to spend time in his presence.

      But…yay for the weekend!!! TGIF!!! Woo hoo!!! (Sorry, I’m a little excited! I’m partying for both of us since you’re too tired to. Ha.)

      Reply

      1. Hehe, thanks for partying for me. 🙂 By tonight, I hope to be all re-energized so this can be an awesome weekend.

        Yeah, I do love it when real life writes my blog posts for me. The flower thing was just too perfect to pass up!

        Reply

    6. Water, I need water! I’m the type that fills up on my quiet time and worship music – without it I become dry, cracked, and not-so-nice. Isn’t it great how His water softens us again?

      Reply

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