I’m not good with plants. I want to be, but I’m not. You my be reading and think you too aren’t good with plants. Or maybe you’re thinking “Oh it’s not that hard, just get a succulent, they barely need anything.” Here’s the thing, I’m so not good with plants that I have killed succulents. Mhmm, you read that correctly. I kill the hearty plants. #succulentkiller
And so when I started part time work at a local University a few months ago, I let my blessed supervisor know that I’d do my best to keep the plant she gifted me alive as best as possible, but I also told her, “I kill succulents.”
Now, she didn’t respond like most do, with laughter and disbelief. Instead she asked “Are you an over waterer?” I nodded. I half wanted to know how she knew, I half didn’t because she is definitely not a plant killer, let a lone a succulent murderer. I’ve been to her thriving green leafy office. She nodded, knowing all too well that over watering will kill a plant. Most folks who desire to nurture plants care so much that they over water to overcompensate for neglecting and letting a plant dry out. She noted the purple plastic pot housing my new plant had a little window that allowed me to see if more water needed to be added. I smiled confidently.
Then the pandemic happened, and of course I thought about my plant. I thought about how it was going to die. Then a colleague of mine who lives a short walk away from campus sent me an email to say hello and shared that she’d been walking over to campus to pick up mail and water the plants in our suite- including mine!
In our own might, in our own capacity, in our own strength, we can kill a thing. We can over water. In our best efforts for things to be well, we can negate reality, negate where we fall short and God in His grace fills the gap, and cause things to go awry. We can mistake lack of results, lack of perceived growth, lack of movement according to our timeline, as an invitation to strive harder, hold on tighter, and mangle that relationship, job, class, book, moment to death.
In our humanity we will go with so much gusto towards that which grit and grace has been measured for us to go at the perfectly ordained pace. God has just enough grit and grace for every season and circumstance. We don’t have to do in our capacity, God already knows and fills in every gap, crack, and crevice so that we don’t have to be anxious and fearful, over watering, drowning, and killing things in our lives.
My prayer for us is that we trade the try harder, the hunker down, the focus more, the tendency to overwater for faith that we truly have all that we need for this very moment, this very season. We have all we need amid a global pandemic and so much uncertainty. Momma with all the kids home, you are equipped. Married person with the strained marriage and the closeness of being home is borderline maddening, you are equipped. Anxious heart, lonely sole, you are equipped with his unwavering peace and presence (John 14:27, Isaiah 41:10). Student who missed the celebrations to acknowledge your hard work, you are equipped, and He is singing over you (Zephaniah 3:17). I thought my plant was a goner and little did I know was that someone, a colleague, has been watching and watering my plant for the past six and a half weeks. God is watching and watering your life through his unconditional love with everything you need to grow in grace into all that he has purposed you to be (Philippians 1:6).
With Love,
Grit + Grace