A Little Christmas Cactus Tale….
“Lord…Let the light of your face shine on us.”
Psalm 4:6
In December 2019, shortly before Christmas, a friend delivered a small Christmas cactus to my church office. The gesture was sweet, but the problem was, I didn’t return to the office until after New Year. When I finally met it, my poor little plant looked pathetic!
I enjoy plants, but I don’t possess much botanical compassion. When my plants become straggly, I toss them in the compost bin! For some unknown reason, though, I decided to show mercy to the bedraggled cactus.
I set it in front of a window, and occasionally, gave it a drink of mildly fertilized water. I didn’t become emotionally attached, and in fact, warned that poor little guy if it failed to flower by Christmastime, to the compost bin it would go!
No visible change occurred throughout the remainder of winter, into spring, and summer of 2020. Sometime during late October, I spied little red pinpoints in the center of several leafless green stems.
“You can do it!” I cheered the little plant on.
By Christmas, two beautiful flowers unfolded. As my husband’s photo reveals, more followed. Since Ron took this picture shortly after Christmas, even more flowers have opened. By New Year’s Day, it was quite spectacular.
I always get a little sad when I must take down the Christmas decorations. Watching the little Christmas cactus has eased my melancholy this year.
Several times the past few weeks, as I’ve enjoyed that little cactus, I’ve been reminded of God’s patience, grace, and mercy.
More than once in my lifetime I’ve felt pathetic, bedraggled, hopeless, and certainly not performing in a manner I imagined would cause God to smile.
Yet, God didn’t discard me! God kept making sure I had enough light for the next step. I kept receiving sips of what Jesus described as “living water.” The divine voice which spoke into my spirit didn’t deliver menacing warnings but rather reminded me
You are loved,
You are worthwhile,
You were created for better!
And, whenever God glimpsed growth, I felt deep within my soul I was being cheered on in Heavenly places!
We’ve all been through a difficult season. Life has been tough on many levels. Some of you reading this post today may be feeling bedraggled! If that’s your reality, I hope this brief tale about a little Christmas cactus brightens your day and lifts your weary spirit.
