We have 3 potted chrysanthemum flowers- they are one of my absolute FAVORITE’s! For me, they seem to usher in the season of pumpkins, foggy mornings, and apple cider . For some reason, though, I have always had a hard time taking care of them. The ones I grew last year died out early, so this year I was DETERMINED to learn all I could about mum’s.
Last month Ben came with me (he’s our resident gardener- he LOVES flowers) to pick out our 3 new plants. He carefully chose fiery red, deep orange , and his favorite- the daisy mum. They’ve been doing really good, and we’ve been trying to take good care of them.
His daisy mum is by our front door, and it’s beautiful. A couple days ago though, I noticed the petals were turning brown on the edges. I quickly got online and learned a little more about deadheading- Plucking off the dying flowers to keep the plant healthy. I sat down and got to work.
I was about a quarter of the way done when I heard a gasp, and then a muffled sob. I turned and there was Ben standing behind me with crocodile tears coming down his cheeks. “What are you doing to my flower?”, he choked out, “You’re killing it!”
“No buddy, I’m trying to save it! We have to do this to keep it healthy.” I tried to explain.
“But it was beautiful, mom, and you’re taking all the pretty flowers off!” He was crushed. I am always in awe of how the most ordinary of moments can become something very special. I wasn’t planning on having a heart to heart. I was planning on getting yard work done. God had other plans.
I pulled him over to me and sat him down right by the flower. “I want to show you something,” I said. “Do you see the petals on these flowers? They’re all starting to die.”
He looked closer. “But from far away they look fine.” He said.
“That’s true. But when you look close they are brown all around the edges. Now, look closer inside the plant.” I parted the dead flowers so he could see inside. “What do you see underneath?”
He looked and then his eyes got wide. “What are all those tiny balls?” he said.
“Those are tons of brand new flowers trying to grow, but they can’t because of all the other flowers that are blocking the sun from them.”
“Oh, so we have to pick off the dead ones so the new ones can grow?” He seemed to be getting it.
“Yep, if we don’t do this, it might be pretty for awhile longer, but the mum won’t be healthy, and soon it will just die.”
"I don't want that to happen at all." He said. So he helped me finish plucking off the flowers, and soon it looked very bare- but FULL of possibilities! He ran off to continue crashing monster trucks into each other and I sat down by the flower pot. I looked at the freshly plucked plant, and then at the pile of dead flowers.
That’s ME- that’s YOU. That’s US. God is always at work in us, he knows our potential- our possibilities. He sees what’s underneath, what’s in our hearts. Sometimes we might look OK from far away, but God is working to peel back our layers, so the world can see our potential!
I don’t know about you, but it’s scary to make a change. It’s HARD to take a step of faith. It’s painful to step out of our comfort zone. But sometimes we have to be willing to take a chance, to “cut off” the parts of us that are dying, or holding us back, in order for God to use us for HIS glory.
Ephesians 4:22-24 says, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by it’s evil desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on a new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Let’s not be afraid to let God peel back our layers! He is ready and waiting to do AMAZING things in our lives- to use us in His ultimate plan. We may react like Ben did- with utter disbelief. But let’s be willing to look deeper, and see all the possibilities God has for our life!
2 Corinthians 5:17- “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
