The Orchid

I like to think that I have a green thumb. I love plants. There has just always been something about growing plants that gave me a sense of fulfillment and purpose. Although I love plants, there are many that I know very little about. I run to the world wide web more often than not to search how to care for them, when and when to plant them and what to feed them. I had never owned an orchid before but a few years ago I found one that I thought was so beautiful during my weekly grocery run.

With zero knowledge about this orchid, other than it was beautiful, I brought it home, stuck it in the window and gave it a drink of water. I looked up how much water to give it to keep it satisfied but that was my extent of research. I had a beautiful, blooming orchid sitting proudly in my window. I enjoyed walking past it and seeing its vibrant colors.

A few months passed and one day I noticed that a petal had fallen off. A few days later another, than another and another. I did what I knew to do and tried offering it more water but nothing... it seemed to have been dying. I went to google and did some looking as to how to care for an orchid and tried everything that it had said.

A few weeks later and not only was my orchid no longer displaying any of it beautiful blooms, but it genuinely looked like it was on deaths door. The stem was turning brown, and the leaves were shriveling. I couldn't believe it!

I actually gave up on it for quite some time. I stopped giving it water and sort of neglected it... I mean, what was the point? It was most likely going into the trash soon anyway. Something inside of me thought to keep trying with it though. It was such a small, insignificant part of my day looking over and enjoying the flower pedals but enough so that I decided not to give up. I went back to my searching and read that sometimes orchids can go dormant and even look like they are dying but it's a part of the process.

When I say it was easily 9 months since I had seen a bloom on this plant, I am far from exaggerating, but I kept watering it, kept tending to it and ensuring that it was getting plenty of sun. A few weeks ago, I noticed something changing, it was growing buds! Today, those buds have begun opening and my orchid is no longer bare.

I started looking into orchids because this process truly amazed me and I found out that orchids are a symbol of love, beauty, fertility and charm. I began thinking about how all of those things require time, withstand challenges and change. This reminded me of Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for way and a time for peace."

There is truly a time for everything and although it isn't always what we may think is our ideal timing, it's perfect in God's plan.

Wishing you peace, love and peanut butter and graham crackers. <3