Earlier this Spring I wrote a blog post about how the parsley had decided to become best friends with my Hoopes rose. I shared this accompanying photo with that blog post.
The parsley had evidently self-seeded in its pot from last summer. When I transplanted my Hoopes rose to a nice big pot (using some of the dirt from the “empty” parsley pot), the parsley decided to “come along for the ride.” It sprouted up and invited itself to live in my Hoopes rose pot.
There was plenty of room in the Hoopes rose’s nice big pot. So my Hoopes rose was happy to welcome the parsley to grow alongside it as a friend.
The two grew happily together as the days grew warm. Summer arrived, and my Hoopes rose set on a multitude of gorgeous blooms.
But problems slowly surfaced as the parsley, bit by bit, decided to take over the pot. The parsley grew big and bold and bunchy … and began crowding out the Hoopes rose.
Then the heat of summer set in. Weeks passed with no rain.
But never fear … I was faithful to water my Hoopes rose, and its “friend” the ever-crowding parsley.
Bit by bit, my Hoopes rose began to look more and more pitiful. No matter how much I watered it, the rose seemed to be struggling. All the gorgeous blooms finished their bloom cycle … but new blooms did not set on to replace them.
My Hoopes rose was withering.
In life, we sometimes find ourselves in situations much like this. People in desperate circumstances come to us for help. Their life situation has “dried up” and they are left “empty” … much like the “dried up” and “empty” parsley pot. From all outward appearances, they truly are in distress.
Filled with compassion and the love of Jesus, we naturally open up our arms and our lives … we invite them in and help them! Just like the Hoopes rose graciously welcomed the little parsley sprouts to grow alongside.
However … time ultimately reveals that those to whom we graciously opened our arms, are not as desperate as they presented themselves to be.
Much to our dismay, we realize that they are just flat out lazy … and completely unwilling to persevere through any hardship or difficulty.
Just like the parsley mooched a “free ride” from the generosity and hospitality of growing in the Hoopes rose pot … so also these types of people mooch a “free ride” through life from the generosity and hospitality of gracious loving people.
Here you can see my Hoopes rose at the present. It looks wrecked.
To be honest, this is exactly how I feel right now.
The parsley had sent down long tap roots … which sucked away all the life-giving moisture in the pot. The parsley was stealing all the life-giving nutrients out of the soil. The parsley was acting as if this was it’s pot … when in actuality, this pot was the Hoopes rose’s growing space. The parsley had invited itself! And yet, the parsley was slowly choking the life out of my Hoopes rose.
And then on top of it all … the heat of summer. Can you see how my Hoopes rose’s leaves are scorched brown by the heat.
This is exactly how I have been feeling lately. It has felt like the life-giving “moisture” in my pot has been sucked away. It has felt like my “growing space” has been choked out. And then on top of it all … the heat of life. And just like my pitiful Hoopes rose leaves are scorched brown by the heat, so too my soul has felt so dry and scorched.
But God!
God is faithful!
“God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.” – 1 Corinthians 10:13
The only way to restore my Hoopes rose to vitality and flourishing is to uproot and remove the parsley. And as you can see in the photo, this very thing has been done. So too, God Himself is in the process of doing the same for me in my life.
I woke up in the middle of the night last night to the sound of rain falling heavy on our roof! All throughout the forest, thousands of little raindrops fell upon thousands of little leaves … creating a great rushing sound! The forest needed the rain so desperately! The land has been so dry and parched!
And the rains came! Refreshing came!
So too, yesterday was a day of God sending the “rain” once again into my life. God showed up in my life in three very distinct ways!
* First thing in the morning, as I was getting started with my day, I received words of comfort and encouragement from the Scriptures from my mom. It was a huge blessing! “Rain” for my soul … from my loving God!
* At noon, I received a phone call … a blessing for my soul which I will write about in a later blog post. “Rain” … from my loving God!
* As the day was drawing to a close, I received a surprise box in the mail (from dear precious friends) … which contained a soft, squishy “hug” from Jesus (I will write more about this in tomorrow’s blog post). “Rain” for my soul … from my loving God!
And the rains came! Refreshing came!
Thank you God for sending “rain” for my soul!
To you my dear friend reading this blog post … if your soul is feeling parched and dry … hang in there! God is with you! God will restore your soul! God will send the rain!
