My houseplants are a source of joy and inspiration for me. Last week, one of my peace lilies commanded my attention. She has been slowly losing life for a while now. I’ve tried a few location switches to help her bounce back, but nothing has worked. I think she was chewed on for a while by one of my kitties and that can be devastating for a plant if not caught in time.
By now, the plant was looking so dead that I decided it was time for drastic measures. I moved it to the kitchen sink to give it some water and prune off everything that looked less than healthy. Afterwards, I let it sit there in direct sunlight hoping that would feel as good to her as it does to me.
Meanwhile, I had been mentally wrestling with a painful decision to let go of a new friend and mentor. She had decided she needed to end our connection, unless certain additional terms were met. She offered so much insight and wisdom and had already helped me a lot, that I hated to give up the relationship, but the personal price was high.
I have a tendency to give too much power away to people I view as authority figures, or who are important to please and keep in my life. I have sacrificed pieces of myself in the past to fit in boxes I wasn’t meant to fit in. If I have to be less of me to be in a relationship, that’s a good sign I have put someone on a pedestal again and both of us need to be right-sized in my mind. I need to realize they are not all-powerful, all-knowing God, and I am not a helpless, lesser-value door
mat.
I had prayed a lot about this situation, but peace evaded me. I couldn’t imagine making a choice I could live with and not look back in regret. Suddenly, I heard in my spirit a reminder that I am not dependent for guidance and inspiration on any one human being. And that God can speak to me through anyone and anything—even a plant.
I looked up as I heard that thought and my eyes landed on the plant that I had been working on just moments before. In the sunlight, it was vibrant green and glowing. It looked so much healthier than it had looked in a different room just five minutes prior. All it needed was to be seen through a different light.
When I’m looking at things and they aren’t looking good, I need to take whatever actions I can and have an honest look at my part in it. But what I usually need most is to view the situation in a different light.
As I change my perspective, my circumstances can instantly look different, and often, so much better. A high-powered lens really helps too. Cheers to higher vision this week!
