Spring makes me happy. Vibrant colors replace the dormant browns. Smells are fresh and new. And the songs in the air seem exceptionally spirited. The Earth is coming back to life.
One of my favorite things about this time of year is watching the first signs of my perennials peeking through the soil. There are times I get a bit anxious. Their delays make me wonder. Yet almost without exception, they suddenly appear to display their splendor; majesty even.
Four years ago, I found a new plant. I’m a sucker for nurseries and garden centers. I have almost no control when I go in. Walking the aisles at Home Depot and there it was. Candytuft. It had the sweetest, petite white flower with a crisp, green foliage. Instantly, without hesitation, five containers in my cart. I couldn’t get home fast enough.
When the following spring (2021) rolled around, I was devastated. Not a single plant survived. All five. Gone. Finding them again wasn’t easy. I ultimately found replacements in three separate stores. Digging again. Fertilizing again. Doing all the things to improve my chances of success. By the end of summer, they were gorgeous and I was hopeful.
But the spring of 2022 found me disappointed yet again. Only one of them pushed through. Off again on my search. I became obsessed with being successful and not accepting defeat. Learning. Studying. Paying attention. What was I missing?
Life is often like my Candytuft. We think we’re doing everything right. But we lose the job. Or we get a bad report from the doctor. Maybe a friend starts acting “not so friendly”. Whatever situation we find ourselves in, it might be easier to give up. That’s precisely what Satan wants us to do.
Hang on with me for a few more lines. I can’t begin to explain to you how much I enjoy reading. Of course I read the Bible every single day. But I also crack open biographies and any number of other printed form delicacies. Authors like Elisabeth Elliot, Louie Giglio, Molly Huffman, Chris Fabry, Carol Kent, and Jackie Hill Perry are some of the most recent I’ve devoured. Although I don’t understand it, I’ve come to realize that not everyone enjoys reading as much as I do. So, I’ve decided that any opportunity to share from a book is time well spent.
Louie Giglio presents an incredible lesson in “Don’t Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table”. Now you seriously need to just read the book yourself. However, since the probability of that is relatively low, I’ll give you some of the highlights.
Most of us are familiar with Psalm 23. It creates this visual of THE Good Shepherd. But it does something very interesting in verse five. This is what it says: “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies”. If you’re anything like me (maybe even just a little bit), you’ve heard that and read it countless times. I can assure that I never pondered it. Never sat with it. We tend to focus on other verses I think (i.e., “even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death”).
David is plainly explaining much of the same message from the New Testament and specifically Paul. We’re going to have problems. There will be trials. The Enemy is definitely real. And it also lets us know that God prepared the table right in the middle of everything. It doesn’t say that He removed the problem (although He certainly could). And it doesn’t seem like He put the table in a different room or out on the porch (which might be nice). It’s in the presence of the Enemy. WOW! But guess what else. There’s nothing about letting the Enemy sit at the table with us. Make no mistake though; that’s often what we do. At times we don’t even realize it. It happens so subtly. We allow our mind (our thoughts) to entertain the slightest, tiny notion. The next thing you know, not only is the Enemy sitting at the table, but he’s eating a piece of your homemade blackberry cobbler warmed up with a scoop of ice cream. How did that happen?
Listen, what I’m trying to say is, “Don’t give up”. Persevere. Dig your heels in (or your boots if you prefer). It could be something as simple as a silly flower in the landscaping or maybe it’s finding your purpose in life. Or it might be something as important as the eternity of someone we love. Either way, don’t let the Enemy pull up a chair. Leave him outside watching you lavishly feast from the table God prepared.
P.S. Candytuft is finally a success. Isn’t it gorgeous?