Drink deep; it’s gonna be a long day!

Do you like yard work? My grandmother had the most beautiful yard. It would have rivaled any cover of Southern Living Magazine. She would spend hours and hours in her yard before most people finished breakfast. She had as many colors splashed across her yard as a Crayola Crayon Box. It was stunning.

Me, I did not inherit her green thumb. I used to consider buying silk flowers and sticking them in the ground because everything I planted would look great for about three days and then die. When discussing this with my mother several years ago, she laughed and said,

Susan, if you want things to live, you have to water them more than once.”

There it was, summed up in one sentence. My problem with my flowers boiled down to the fact that I didn’t invest the time necessary to make them thrive. I planted them and wished them well, fully relying on God to do His part and make it rain, but I failed to partner with Him and water them when He didn’t.

How many of us are like that with our relationship with the Lord? We take the initial step by surrendering our lives to Him, but then expect Him to take it from there? For us to thrive in our relationship with Jesus, we must invest in it. Otherwise, like unattended flowers, the relationship will die.

Take time each day to talk with Jesus. That’s all prayer really is, a conversation with Jesus. Take time to read His love letter to you so you know what He wants to say to you. The more you read it, the more you realize it has something new for you each day. Many say they don’t have time to do it. I say, you can’t afford not to.

Matthew 6:33 says,

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

I’ve gotten better with taking care of flowers that I plant. I’ve come to realize they get thirsty often and must be attended to regularly.

We’re the same way. God calls all who are thirsty to come to Him [Isaiah 55:1]. Don’t allow something beautiful to die because of neglect. Take time to drink deep. The beauty and color displayed in your life will be worth it.