A highlight of welcoming Spring finds me at my favorite herb nursery. This year I was pleasantly surprised to discover Blue African Basil was plentiful, robust and waiting to adorn both my herb garden and its spot amidst my lantana and crepe myrtle. Last year’s height of the pandemic’s arrival meant this herb departed from reigning in my garden. Now, it is back!!!
What’s so special, you might wonder, about a basil plant? They are a dime a dozen and even fill the grocery store produce aisles. However, an atypical fuss over a common herb is not unwarranted, if the herb is Blue African Basil. Blue African Basil is extraordinary. In fact, its attributes dwarf all its relatives. In mere weeks, this particular herb from a three inch plastic pot transforms into one of the largest bushes in my yard. Of even greater wonder, hundreds of honey bees and butterflies adorn it like ornaments on a Christmas tree, and they stay until Autumn’s coolness chases them away.
Year after year, I marvel at a Blue African Basil’s hardiness. Transplant it into the ground and my work is done. That is, until this year. While my basil amongst my lantana and crepe myrtle immediately began to morph in size, the one spotlighted in place of honor within my herb garden is struggling to survive – forget about multiplying.
What happened and why were answers not under my thumb – green or otherwise. The leaves were stressed and limp. I thought water to the rescue. So began a constant checkmate. My sprinkling can quart of water rained over my plant. Half an hour later, upright and full of life, the stalks looked princely majestic and on their way to once more reigning kingly. But wait, sixty minutes passed, and again, bent over and parched, this one Blue African Basil was headed south. And so, the “rain to reign” saga was repeated over and over again, now for three days running.
Finally completely stymied, I decided there had to be a message. Mine now became the challenge of changing focus from trying to defy an unnatural and undesired reality to understanding a heavenly message tucked into a worldly misgiving. Thus, sitting under a beautiful sunlit day, God’s essence opened my eyes to two images. One I share today. The other waits for a tomorrow.
Our children are all seeds we plant and want to watch tower. Many offspring are blessed with deep rooted stalks, capable of standing firm, branching out and ultimately seasoning life with Godly flavor. Do we as Christian parents take this for granted? I think I have. However, in vigilant watch, care and accepting nothing but strong life running through my struggling shoot, for the first time I felt empathy for the God centered parent refusing to give up on saving their child struggling with weakness.
Too often, society comments, criticizes and cuts down a wayward offspring. We overlook the never give up earthly parent, who with God behind, beside, above and beneath them, refuses to just let their loved one shrivel up, dehydrated from refusing God’s lifesaving redemptive baptismal waters of forgiveness and restoration.
God’s love for His wayward children penetrates even deeper than the love of an earthly parent. Never giving up, God, over and over, pours His love upon His wilting, dying children and then keeps vigil. God waits for recovery, knowing it often comes two steps forward, one step back, and sometimes, one step forward, two steps back. Still God never gives up.
We, humans, too often, want, and expect, an easy fix. Yesterday, not even today, is our timeline. God’s watch measures time by the endless hours of eternity. No matter how many minutes a wayward soul wastes, God stands ready to count only by the seconds – second chances.
My pencil put down, I’m a tad more seasoned. As I now baptize “Basil” for the umpteenth time, my heart says a prayer not only for all wayward souls, but also, for their loved ones shedding tears pleading, hopefully, their tear drops turn into baptismal waters. Like all prayers offered everywhere and by everyone, God hears and holds each and every uttered prayer dearly as He faithfully stands watch till all our steps, both backward and forward, are eternally completed. Above all, there is always hope. That’s why I keep watering my wayward basil!!!
Uplifted in a Broken Down World 