Healing

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I came across an article on ehow.com about the causes of brown leaf edging . . . bear in mind I am neither green-fingered nor thumbed, in fact the only plants that thrive around me are cacti because they don't mind periods of drought when I forget to water them, nor monsoon periods when I over-water them making up for the times I forgot!

Anyway, as I was saying, this article on ehow.com explained the causes of brown leaf edging stating: “Often when a plant begins to fail, people assume it must be because it's infested with pests or has acquired a disease . . . but brown leaf edges are not a symptom of these problems. Brown leaf edges mean a plant is stressed."

“Mmmmmmmm”, I thought . . . “Plants get stressed?”

The article goes on and gives indicators on what might be causing the stress :

1. “Determine if the plant with brown leaf edges is receiving enough water.”
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Just like plants, we need water; not just physically but spiritually as well. Water in the Bible represents the Holy Spirit, therefore in context with the statement above; are we receiving enough of the Holy Spirit in our lives through prayer, from the Word of God or just spending time in the presence of God?

2. “Check to see if the plant is root-bound. When the roots of a plant fill a container, they begin to wrap their roots around the bottom and sides of the container. When this happens, they cannot bring in a sufficient supply of water. Giving the plant more water helps, but a better long-term solution is to repot the plant into a bigger container”
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Okay, you may say, I am getting enough 'water' in my life . . . good, but how are your roots? Ever considered how your spiritual life is being influenced by your environment? I was once told about a crab bucket and how fishermen place crabs in a lidless bucket of sea water with no fear that one would escape because the moment a crab tries to climb out the other crabs in the bucket begin pulling him back down. This is a difficult subject area to evaluate because ultimately it involves, family, work, friendships, relationships, the church and the home. However, if any environment is causing your spiritual life to suffocate then maybe it's time to be repotted?

3. “See if the soil adequately holds water.”
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Soil that has a lot of sand and perlite become porous and doesn't hold water – as soon as you water the plant, the water drains right through and doesn't get absorbed by the soil and the plant. That reminds me of the passage in the Bible that says: “Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! Those who hear and don't act are like those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.” James 1:22-24

4. "Look at the roots to see if they are damaged. Root damage can cause a disruption in water supply and therefore brown leaf edges.”
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Our physical 'roots' (our emtions, thoughts and senses) feed our spirit and if those roots are damaged then our spirit fades and dies. These roots could be broken relationships, family feuds, abuse, neglect, abandonment, illness, disease, loss, trauma, addiction, etc. The same issues that bring us to God could well be keeping us away from His blessing because we don't claim His healing and forgiveness.

5. “Reduce fertilization. Synthetic fertilizers cause a build-up of salt in the soil, which causes plant stress.”
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Salt is a very interesting substance, it preserves, it disinfects, it adds flavor, it absorbs nothing but water and too much salt kills. So, when Jesus said that we are the salt of the earth (Matt 5:13) that means our lives should preserve life, heal, add flavor and absorb nothing but the Spirit of God. Nevertheless, our salt content could become over concentrated or infused “synthetically”; we become self-righteous – morally or spiritually smug and intolerant of others – our 'salt' ultimately becomes deadly.

There you have it, we get stressed, planets get stressed and the issues that cause the stress in us and in plants are virtually identical. So, next time you start to get that brown edging; don't get distressed, consider the five points above and start de-stressing.

"But [the time is coming when] the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." Habakkuk 2:14 (Amplified Bible)

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