Inspirational Story
"Sensible people control their temper; they earn respect by overlooking wrongs. Proverbs 19:11 (NLT)
I LOVE STUDYING PLANT CATALOGS to learn about different plants and their respective personalities and idiosyncrasies.
While reading a catalog of flower bulbs for commercial landscapers today, I learned something new.
Having moved from a colder, bulb-loving climate, I learned that I’d have to refrigerate my bulbs before planting them in this warmer region.
In addition to bulbs needing to be pre-chilled before planting, though, I learned that these bulbs must be planted immediately—“before they lose their cool.” Wow!
I could relate to those flower bulbs.
Sometimes I lose my cool too.
How could I apply this horticultural wisdom to my own life, so that I can avoid losing my cool?
What would this look like for me? Flower bulbs need cool temperatures to bloom and thrive.
Likewise, I need the right spiritual conditions to bloom and thrive.
Spending time in the presence of Jesus has a similar, positive effect as placing bulbs in a refrigerator—Jesus’s presence helps me so that I can bloom and express myself in God-honoring ways.
The fact that pre-chilled bulbs must be planted immediately reminds me that in times of stress, I need to immediately plant myself in the presence of Jesus and His Word—before I lose my cool.
—CASSANDRA TIERSMA