Loved Fiercely—Carly Van Laar

  The older I get, the more time I have to notice the little things.  I also enjoy keeping plants alive, which is something I never understood before.  One such plant is an orchid that a family gave me as an end-of-year teacher gift.  I have been gifted orchids before, but am sad to admit that despite my best efforts, those poor plants never made it to the next re-bloom.  So when I received this particular orchid, I was determined to not allow it to have the same fate of the ones that came before.

     Surprisingly, this task proved easier than I thought.  These sweet little flowers just need three ice cubes a week to make it.  This was something I could definitely handle!  After it blooms and then dies, you just cut it back to a certain notch so it will be ready to re-bloom.  Finally, if you replant it in a bigger vessel, it will have more blooms the next time.  What started as 1-2 blooms is now 4-5 blooms, and I am hopeful this trend will continue.    

     This particular orchid blooms white with purple accents.  The leaves at the base are large and have a shiny, waxy look to them.  They are so large that they need a wipe-down to clear dust off every now and again.  This flower does exactly as it was designed to do, as long as it is supplied with the right conditions.  With a little water, sunshine, and replanting, the blooms unfold just right each time.  

     It is really amazing to see each little bud grow bigger and bigger until the bud cannot contain the petals any longer.  At this time, the flower unfolds, and each petal stretches slowly, but beautifully until the opening is complete. 

     A few weeks ago, during the Christmas Eve candlelight service at church, we were singing “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”.  The lyrics were displayed on the screen, and even though I have heard this song many times, a verse struck me like never before.  It was the one that says,

     Hearts unfold like flowers before thee.  Isn’t that such a great word picture?  Just as I care for the orchid, supplying it with the right conditions to grow, the Lord cares for us, supplying the right conditions for us to know him and have our hearts open to him.  In the same way one cannot force a flower bud to unfold, God cannot force us to love him.  

     I do not know exactly what happens within the flower pot that holds the orchid to make it bloom, just as I do not know exactly what happens to make a heart come to know, love and trust Jesus.  I only know that I’ve seen lives transform with the saving knowledge of the gospel, and God’s great gift to us in Jesus and the Holy Spirit.  I love that God’s love for us is so great that he is patient and gentle to wait for our hearts to unfold like flowers before Him.  That is something that makes me joyful and adore the God of glory and Lord of love!