I’m one of those crazy people who talks to their plants. But this time, as I was planting violas for winter color on the deck, the plants spoke to me!

There I was with all my little 4” plants lined up and “staged” in the planters that would soon be their new homes. Before I planted them, I tilled the soil left over from summer plants and carefully added fresh soil to make a perfect home for my flowers.

As I started to take the flowers out of their little pots, I began my usual monologues with them. I apologized for the pain I was inflicting on them as I separated their roots, explaining that in just a short time, the pain would be over and they would be free to be what God had always intended them to be. I encouraged them to bloom their little heads off to glorify God.

But then I noticed something interesting. As I took some out of their pots, some willingly slipped out as if they understood the whole process (did they?) Others were dry and wilting, in desperate need of water.

But the ones that spoke the loudest to me were the ones that, although totally pot-bound, refused to leave their original home. Their roots were wrapped around and seemingly cemented to the pot. It was almost as if they were saying, “I will NOT let go.” Sadly, in removing them from their comfortable place, more of their roots had to be torn or removed.

Aren’t we a little like those beautiful violas? Some of us watch others bloom and try to emulate those people who make good choices. Those people experience difficulty and pain but they seem to understand that the pain is sometimes necessary for their growth. Their lives are relatively easy because they chose to trust the Lord and try to honor Him with their lives. They seem happy in the journey.

Others of us find ourselves “in the desert” never knowing until it’s almost too late, how desperately we need the Lord to deliver us from our dry, parched life. As soon as we yield ourselves to Him and renew a walk with Him, we begin to thrive again.

I’m afraid too many of us are like the third group. Happy in the current place we find ourselves. It’s comfortable. It’s safe. It’s all we’ve ever known. Take us out of the safety of the pot and thrive? Uhhh, NO! We’d rather become pot-bound, stagnant, and eventually withered.

Over the years I’ve pondered this. Why do we so easily leave the security and comfort of God’s loving arms? The only thing I can think of is that we believe we know better than God! Surely He can’t fulfill us like…(fill in the blank) Really?

As I said, my flowers talked to me that day!