Watering Plants

An elderly man in his nineties has the most beautiful garden in Centralia. He planted it for his wife who passed away some twenty years ago and has kept it going in her memory. Among the beautiful flowers are budding green asparagus plants. While admiring his stunning garden, in the brutal summer heat, an innocent observation was made. “I bet you have to water these all the time in this heat.”


“No” the gentleman replied. “I don’t water them at all. If you water them the roots will not grow deep. They will stay shallow and expect to get watered all the time. If you water them once, you will have to continue to water them daily. The plants become dependant on the water and will not grow deep roots. Deep roots strengthen the plant. It makes it stronger in times of excessive heat, drought, and frost in the winter. It is a lot like our relationship with God. In times of plenty we are not strong. Our roots don’t grow in faith to sustain us for the hard times ahead.”

When our life is sweltering away under the heat, when we are in a drought, when we thirst for more, maybe it is during these times we are establishing longer stronger roots for our Savior. These deep roots that will sustain us for the real tough times ahead as it is then our faith is strengthen so we may flourish while others expire to the heat.