Before LaVern Miller moved into an assisted living facility, she gave the church her ivy plant to the church. When they brought in, they said that she had been able to keep it alive for almost 40 years. That’s simply amazing to someone like me who can hardly keep a plant alive for 40 days, much less 40 years.
It's currently sitting in the entryway to our office area, but while the floors were being replaced in that hallway, we had to move it to a temporary spot out of the way. As it was being moved back, a small section of about 8 leaves broke off from the plant. I decided that I wanted to take that section and replant it in a pot in my office.
Now I know what you’re thinking, “You just told us that you don’t have a reputation for having a green thumb, so why do you think this time will be different?” Well, it’s in a spot that I will see it on a regular basis and Renea is very good at tending to the other plants in the office, so I will have the support I need to help the plant survive and thrive.
The Bible, especially the teachings of Jesus, is full of analogies and parables with agricultural themes to help explain spiritual concepts in a tangible way. For me, LaVern’s plant has brought to mind the importance of the “root systems” of our families and our church. Our current society is much different from the norms in the Bible. Even up until less than 200 years ago, families generally did not move away from each other. Generations of the same family would live on the same property if not in the same house. However, today it is almost expected that our kids will grow up and move out of our house and will not come back to live in our house or even the same town. Since we will no longer have daily, face-to-face contact with them, there are two things that are crucial to their success wherever they go: how they are raised and where they are planted.
My attempt to propagate LaVern’s plant is not a perfect analogy, but it is helpful. A plant’s ability to thrive in a new environment is not necessarily dependent on the root system that it came from, but it is dependent on where and how it is replanted and then cared for. When it comes to our lives, both are very important. How we raise our kids, how they see us live, and how our church ministers to the kids of our community sets a foundation for the rest of their lives. When they move on from here, that foundation in Christ provides stability for the trials and temptations that they will face. But it also sends them out with the expectation to be an active, contributing member in a church, what they should expect from that church, their responsibility to attend to and nurture their own spiritual lives and to share the gospel with others.
We must be intentional with the way that we live and the time that we have with our kids. As a church we must be intentional with every minute that we have kids in our building. For some, it is the only exposure to the gospel that they will ever see or hear. We are helping to establish roots and foundations in Christ. We are propagating the gospel. So, let us not take lightly our responsibility to live as examples, to disciple others while we have influence in their lives, and to propagate the gospel in others.
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
- Proverbs 22:6
By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge
the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
- Proverbs 24:3-4
-Kendall
It's currently sitting in the entryway to our office area, but while the floors were being replaced in that hallway, we had to move it to a temporary spot out of the way. As it was being moved back, a small section of about 8 leaves broke off from the plant. I decided that I wanted to take that section and replant it in a pot in my office.
Now I know what you’re thinking, “You just told us that you don’t have a reputation for having a green thumb, so why do you think this time will be different?” Well, it’s in a spot that I will see it on a regular basis and Renea is very good at tending to the other plants in the office, so I will have the support I need to help the plant survive and thrive.
The Bible, especially the teachings of Jesus, is full of analogies and parables with agricultural themes to help explain spiritual concepts in a tangible way. For me, LaVern’s plant has brought to mind the importance of the “root systems” of our families and our church. Our current society is much different from the norms in the Bible. Even up until less than 200 years ago, families generally did not move away from each other. Generations of the same family would live on the same property if not in the same house. However, today it is almost expected that our kids will grow up and move out of our house and will not come back to live in our house or even the same town. Since we will no longer have daily, face-to-face contact with them, there are two things that are crucial to their success wherever they go: how they are raised and where they are planted.
My attempt to propagate LaVern’s plant is not a perfect analogy, but it is helpful. A plant’s ability to thrive in a new environment is not necessarily dependent on the root system that it came from, but it is dependent on where and how it is replanted and then cared for. When it comes to our lives, both are very important. How we raise our kids, how they see us live, and how our church ministers to the kids of our community sets a foundation for the rest of their lives. When they move on from here, that foundation in Christ provides stability for the trials and temptations that they will face. But it also sends them out with the expectation to be an active, contributing member in a church, what they should expect from that church, their responsibility to attend to and nurture their own spiritual lives and to share the gospel with others.
We must be intentional with the way that we live and the time that we have with our kids. As a church we must be intentional with every minute that we have kids in our building. For some, it is the only exposure to the gospel that they will ever see or hear. We are helping to establish roots and foundations in Christ. We are propagating the gospel. So, let us not take lightly our responsibility to live as examples, to disciple others while we have influence in their lives, and to propagate the gospel in others.
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
- Proverbs 22:6
By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; by knowledge
the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.
- Proverbs 24:3-4
-Kendall
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