So that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.
Colossians 1: 10
The frog planter in the picture belonged to my grandmother who passed away more than 20 years ago. It sat on her windowsill for as long as I can remember and was the home for a spindly little spider plant. I don’t know where the plant originated from but it was likely a cutting from a friend or family member. Last fall my aunt gave me the spider plant. She said it would often wilt before she would remember to water it. She knew I liked plants and thought I might be able to get it to grow.
I was apprehensive about removing the frail plant from the frog planter, which served as its home for decades. I was amazed it lived for so many years in those stifling circumstances. It was a chore getting the root-bound plant out of the frog. The old soil was hard and unyielding. I was afraid I would damage the roots and kill it or break my grandmother’s planter. The plantar had sentimental value, as my grandmother collected frogs. With a lot of tender loving care, I was finally able to free and repot the spindly plant.
The difference in a few months was remarkable. The little plant took time to adapt to its new home but soon began to grow and develop new shoots. My aunt could not believe the transformation.
A few weeks ago a speaker at my church was preaching on the subject of spiritual growth and getting out of our comfort zones. I was driving home following the service and started thinking about the frail plant and how it never thrived until it left its comfort zone. What a great visual reminder! The little frog planter allowed it to live there for decades but it never changed. It simply remained a frail, spindly plant.
I started to think about my own comfort zones and how they were stifling my growth. Comfort zones allow us to have a false sense of security. They feel familiar and comfortable but prevent us from growing or changing. Just like the spider plant, years and decades may pass by with little to no growth in our lives, as we remain root bound in our frog planters.
What does your frog planter look like? For me it is the lack of discipline and fear that keeps me from working on the books God placed on my heart years ago that I’ve started but never finished. It is my desire to start a women’s group for widows that I never got up the courage to begin. It is not taking seriously the need to lose weight for my health. It is lack of confidence and concerns about my health not being good enough to pursue things. If I remain in my comfort zone, books go unwritten, the widow’s ministry remains on hold, and my health issues worsen because of my weight.
For you it may be a job you dislike, an unhealthy dating relationship, an addiction, or even a ministry position you would like to step down from to pursue a new opportunity. What has God called you to do with your life that you are putting off? What would happen if you uprooted yourself from your frog plantar? What does God have in store for you? Will you break free from your plantar no matter how difficult the repotting process may be?
I keep the little frog plantar next to the rejuvenated spider plant as a constant reminder of what happens when you step out of the comfort zone. Seeing how the frail plant is flourishing in its new surroundings encourages me. I have been setting aside time to work on my book. I am eating better and participating in Weight Watchers again for my health. And a few Sundays ago a pastor from my church gave me information on starting a circle group at church for widows. I am praying about it.
We were never created to remain stagnant and unchanged. God has something for us to do, even in our older years. We will never flourish if we remain in our frog planters. What step can you take today to start your regrowth process?
