Day 1
I will hold on
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come’ (Revelation 2:24-24)
The great pepper experiment is almost at an end.
It was my cousin's idea to bring the peppers indoors over the winter to see whether they would survive. He potted several, giving a few to my sister-in-law, a few to me, and keeping a few for himself.
My three thrived through the fall. Tiny little tropical peppers had even budded and formed by late December. I was pleased and quite honestly, surprised.
But there was a long winter ahead, and I found that my success was short-lived. By early winter, I noticed signs of struggle with one of the plants. I tried a few interventions, but it was no use. Late February arrived, and then there were two.
When (a relatively warm) April rolled in and my two pepper plants were still holding on, I breathed a sigh of relief. "Soon," my cousin said, "you'll be able to take them outside." I agreed enthusiastically.
Alas! We had spoken too soon. From out of nowhere Plant Number 2 became stricken with a mysterious ailment, and died shortly after. "Why?" I wondered? Plant Number 2 had been the most promising of the three—the tallest, and seemingly the healthiest and best thriving.
I don't know the answer, but I wish the plant had hung on just a little bit longer. It had survived the worst of winter—the short grey days, the freezing temperatures outside. And then, just like that, with warmth and sunshine, and the great outdoors just a few weeks away, it had given up.
The sad, disappointing end to Plant Number 2 made me think of life's struggles, and how tempting it is to give up in some situations. Likely, that is one of the reasons Jesus speaks so much about overcoming (conquering, being victorious) in His message to the churches in Revelation Chapters 2 and 3, and then again in Revelation 21:7 (NLT)— "All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children."
In one of his guitar ballads, my dad used to sing of a man who was trying to get home in a blizzard. He didn't make it. He was only 100 yards from home when he succumbed to the elements. I am hoping that Plant Number 3 will hold on just a little bit longer and make the last hundred yards. And I hope that you and I will too.
Comments