What Is This Boat's Secret?

Anchored with a plain yellow rope down into the lake, a small aluminum boat covered with a blue tarp bobs in the waves off the shore. Floating there for hours, it detracts from the view of the popular pier nearby. But that little boat was built for speed, and would be fun in spite of it's plain appearance.

Many folks fit that description too. They may not keep up with the newest ideas or fit into flashy surroundings, but they often have gifts that are really a blessing if you give them a chance to shine.

Acts 4:13 NIV  "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."

Green and Growing

It's a plant the height of a seedling, but with thick stems and large leaves. In the past it grew lanky, so I cut off the healthy parts, rooted and replanted them. The old growth was discarded along with the crusted old pot, and a new glass one gave it a modern fresh look. 

I usually think of pruning as getting rid of new irregular shoots, but sometimes I keep that part and start over because it's where growth is more vigorous and the leaves most healthy. 

I think people usually have healthy areas of their lives to focus on when a fresh start is needed too. We may trim back to our original roots, or eliminate old growth in favour of a thriving, new direction.

Isaiah 20:21-22
²¹ 21 Then all your people will be righteous and they will possess the land forever.
They are the shoot I have planted, the work of my hands, for the display of my splendor.
²² 22 The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation.
I am the Lord; in its time I will do this swiftly.”

Bug Guts

I plunge my microfibre cloth back into the warm soapy water, then work some more on the bug-splattered bumper and insect body parts wedged in the grill. As I scrub I think of my life, working hard to remove the scraps and bits from past injuries, my support group a sort of graveyard for lost souls like those on the bumper of this car. 
Not that I was completely finished, but parts of my life - my youth, my marriage, my early dreams - were dashed to pieces by the unstoppable force of a family member's drinking. Our capacity to heal is amazing, however. With the parts still intact, I learned to avoid more collisions and to gently comfort those still clinging to difficult relationships.

Psalm 34:18 NIV: The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.