Every spring I tell myself that I am not going to spend a lot of money on plants for my yard. But every year, I am drawn to the garden store like a nail is to a magnet. To justify my purchases, I typically head back to the section where all the plants that are getting ready to shrivel to their deaths are placed. Yesterday, there was a large selection of different kinds of plants that just needed some extra loving care. So I filled up my cart with some zincas and geraniums that truly looked pitiful. As I traveled by all the vibrant plants and colorful flowers, I had to convince myself that I was not wasting my money or time.
When I got home, I took each plant out of the root bound containers and placed them in larger flower pots with fresh garden soil. I spoke to them like they were truly alive, encouraging them to recover from their neglected beginnings. Today, I noticed there are a few zincas that appear dead and will be moved to the compost heap to begin decomposing into fresh soil for later use. On the other hand, I can see a little life coming back for most of them and showered them with rain water collected from the recent storms.
If I enjoy bringing life to these plants that are all but dead, I can’t imagine how much God must enjoy bringing life to individuals with wounded souls. I wonder if God and Jesus talked about their love for the lost before Jesus came to earth. I wonder if God told Jesus to share stories like the Parable of the Prodigal Son and many others. I can almost imagine him emphasizing to Jesus the importance of letting us know how much he cares, even for the souls that are close to death. And even now, as Jesus sits at the right hand of his father, I can almost hear them celebrate when one more wounded soul finally realizes they can be brought back from the dead and thrive on some living water.