The Mystery Plant
17 Oct 2010 Leave a Comment
Somehow, a cucumber vine grew in my garden this past season! It was never planted, but it showed up one day, and has taken over an entire planter. It is one of the few plants still thriving in my garden and it has given the most amazing cucumbers-crisp and sweet. When I look at it, thriving, with yellow blossoms popping up each day, I am content in a strange sort of way. Like the many surprises life brings, my cucumber volunteer has been a great source of joy to me! I didn’t plan it, didn’t tend it, didn’t even nurture it! I just watched it, rather skeptically, sure that it wouldn’t produce anything. Was I ever wrong!
So many times, situations creep up, just like my vine, and we wonder how we stumbled upon such circumstances. Some, we view with pleasure, tickled pink that such “fortune” came to us. Other times, we pluck away the new growth of something that is unfamiliar or unwanted. If we didn’t “plant it”, it has to go. Rarely, we watch as a “mystery plant” grows, unsure that it will produce anything of value, on the brink of plucking it out each time we see it. But, if we let it grow, if we wait and nurture and pray, it may turn into something delightful–a true gift from God.
He loves giving us unexpected, unexplained blessings. He wants us to know they are from Him, not something we caused with our own hands. He wants to entrall us, surprise us, warm our hearts with His treasures. He wants us to see how He makes something out of nothing.
I never saw a grandbaby coming. I never expected it, or even hoped for it at this time. In fact, when I found out about it, my first reaction was not glee! But, as I’ve watched him grow in Lexi, I realize that he is a gigantic blessing–one from God, not of my making. The joy he’s already bringing is amazing…..I can’t imagine life without him.
So, embrace those “stray vine” moments. Trust me, they can turn into a delicious treat.
