It’s Not Dead

A friend gave me an orchid for my birthday about four years ago.

It had pink flowers and lasted for several months.

When the flowers faded, I noticed that the leaves at the bottom of the plant were still green and thriving. I decided to water the plant even though the flowers were long gone. Then I had the bright idea to clip two dried long-stem roses on the sticks in the pot to bring “life” back to my plant. So the watering continued most Wednesdays.

The plant remained on the end table in front of the large window in the family room. In July 2021, I noticed a long, green shoot stretching toward the window.

It looked creepy to me, so I removed the dried roses and clipped the stem to the stick. Before long, I noticed several tiny buds on the end of the orchid stem.

I was so excited that my dead plant had come back to life four years later. I continued watering the plant with renewed enthusiasm and watched daily as the buds grew bigger and bigger. A few weeks later, I was greeted by a beautiful light-pink flower with a deeper pink middle. That made my day.

One flower after another opened until there were six.

I could not help but think that God loves me so much that He made that plant blossom as a love letter to me. Sometimes in life, we feel that we have been forgotten and dead to the world. The pandemic seemed to magnify things as we were in isolation. Many felt abandoned and forsaken, and some even died alone.

I thought of Lazarus, who died physically, and his sisters were upset with Jesus because He was four days late. Little did they know that God is always on time. Four days or four years is nothing for God, the Creator of time.

No matter what state of mind we find ourselves in, God knows exactly what is going on with us. He promises to be with us and reminds us in Isaiah 49:15, “I will not forget you.” How reassuring is that? Family and friends may forsake us, but God never will. Just as God did not forget my orchid, He has not forgotten me —or you.

We are engraved in the palms of His hands (verse 16).

I speak life into you today.

Sharon Long