New Life

At the beginning of summer, I bought a hibiscus at Costco. It was on clearance because all of the flowers had fallen off, but it was a full tree-looking plant with a braided trunk and I thought it would look great in our living room.

As the weeks went by, more and more leaves turned yellow and fell off. By the time I figured out what it was – it was spider mites – the plant was just bare sticks.

I thought it was dead, but I decided to put it out on the back porch.

Suddenly one day, I noticed buds forming on the plant and soon new leaves were shooting up all over. Before I knew it, it was full of bigger, healthier leaves than before. Then a beautiful blossom opened up, then another and another.

This once dead-looking pathetic excuse for a plant was now this flowering, full-leaved beautiful sight.

All I could think of as I looked at this creation made anew was how great God is. What being out on the porch in the sun and the rain did to this plant is what He does to us.

God can take a beaten-down, broken wretch of a human being and turn it into a glorious new creation, filled with life and purpose and love. He takes something ugly and dead and turns it into something beautiful and alive.

All we have to do is turn to Him and accept His love.

If you want to learn more, check out a site such as Not Religion to help you get started.