Faith Essentials

My love for plants comes from my mother. She loved gardening and spending time outdoors, whether she was growing fruits, vegetables, trees, shrubs, or flowers. As time went on, she learned  that buying garden plants could get costly. We often found her roaming the sale section, where the weak or wilted plants hang out. She had a unique ability to care for and revive plants back to life. I recently learned from an expert landscape gardener that weaker, partially dead plants actually respond much better to transplanting than healthier plants. She explained that weaker plants are in a type of hibernation mode, so they don't experience major shock when moved to a new environment. Under stress, apparently weaker plants trigger a survival response and show more intense flavor and radiance.     I've observed a similar pattern when God works in our lives. We become more pliable and responsive to His guidance when we are aware of our weaknesses. In those moments of weakn...