Around the Office II

This is another view of my office, a large plant that resides in my window. I am one of the fortunate ones who have a nice office with a window facing a real window, on the outer wall, so I get quite a bit of sun. This plant belonged to a co-worker, who was slowly killing it. I had bought a few small plants that were doing well, so she asked me to put it here for rehab. It began to do really well and I have kept it ever since. Its probably about 18 inches tall now, and keeps putting out newer leaves. There are actually 4 different plants in one planter.

OK, this is getting sad. Everyone else is putting down these wonderful, spiritual thoughts and meditations, and here I am taking office pictures. I mean, its just a plant, but I really enjoy it. Plus, its really easy to deal with. I mean, I have a perfect amount of sun everyday, so all you have to do is water, which I do a couple of times a week.

Maybe that is the slant. Imagine, if the plant decided to force out the water I give it. If it just did not want the thing that makes it thrive. What if it also was able to move, out of the window and under a shelf, out of the sun that gives it life. "Why" would be my question. Why do you want to live a weaker, frailer life than you could live? Why would you want to become dry and dead, leaves turning brown, stalks withering? I mean, really, if it were my kid acting that way, I would take them to the hospital, and maybe the psych ward. If Dakota or Sloane refused to take nourishment, you bet I would be concerned and show action. I mean, what, do they think that I, who has been with them since birth, would let them do that to themselves? No way.

Imagine how our Father feels when we just blatantly won't take in what he has to give us to live well, to grow and mature. Really, is our ignoring the walk of our faith any different than refusing to eat? If we refuse to pray, meditate, worship, study, will we thrive any more than the dying plant, unwatered, unsunned, withering in a place it was not meant to be? Again, I would be taking my kids to the ER, but we are given that choice. I would commit my kids against their will in a heartbeat, but we have a Father that desires us to desire him. There will be no rushing us to the ER without our permission, and if we want to sit and suffer and grow weaker and weaker, then, we have the ability to. Don't get me wrong, God pursues, God is in front of us, waving his arms, trying to get our attention. God is longing for us to eat and drink from Him...but not without us actually saying the word.

I know that I don't look like a guy who has fasted, with my love of food and all, but I have in the past. Let me tell you, it is something you have to experience to understand. After a certain amount of time goes by, your thoughts just center around that need to eat. Food becomes the be all end all. For some, it may take longer to get there, but you will. You cannot think about anything else, just nourishment. Fasting shows how drastically we need God. As much as I was consumed by the need for, and thoughts of food, my spirit is feeling the same for the nourishment of faith. The old song, "As the Deer" tries to make this though clear. "So my soul longs after you", that is a powerful line when you know true longing.

There are many, many of us, most of us, who commit a spiritual suicide every day. A hunger strike against living water. It is that drastic, and yet, we are still starving ourselves, dying of thirst. Nourishment is waiting, hot and ready, cool and quenching, ready for us to take it. Pray and receive it. Read the bible and eat. Worship and drink. Medidate and be filled. Think of what we could be if we just did those things. If we are anything like this plant I have, we will be tall and vibrant and beautiful.