Stay in the Light to Bloom
The Beautiful Ones
They used to be beautiful. I had purple ones, pink ones, lavender ones.
I felt proud. I could grow African violets. I knew how to make them bloom.
Until I moved.
My beautiful African violets, once full of colorful flowers, are now barren, nothing but green stems and leaves.
The flowers never came again.
This is where I am now.
It’s All About the Light
Now I know it wasn’t me at all that made the flowers bloom. I can take no credit.
It was all about the light. I once had it. Now I don’t.
As I finish memorizing 1 John 1 this week, I’m reminded how much I’m like the African violets.
I can’t take credit for making flowers bloom in my own life either. It’s all about the light instead.
If I want to produce fruit in my life—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control—then I need help beyond my own abilities.
I need less shade, more Light.
Reliable Light
Staying in the light doesn’t have to be difficult.
If I’ll stay honest with God, admitting to him when something is blocking the light, he will forgive me, clear away the shadows, cleaning me from everything I’ve done wrong (1 John 1:9).
9 God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we’ve done wrong.
10 If we say, “We have never sinned,” we turn God into a liar and his Word is not in us.
– 1 John 1
The true Light is faithful and reliable.
I’m going to move my African Violets to a different window this week. In their old spot, the leaves reproduce well, but they produce no flowers. But in a new spot, they should be able to do both.
I want more blooms, too. I want to stay positioned to soak in the light.
Thanks to God, I can.
Our candle giveaway winner for the 1 John 1 challenge is…Marilyn Saxon!!!
Are you a plant person? Do you have good lighting in your home? How do you stay in the light yourself? Share in the comments.
We should all want to bloom where God plants us, Lisa, but we all need His light to do so.
Blessings!
I had the same problem with African violets years ago. I never caught on to put them in more light. I’m not good with indoor plants at all. Outside, at least they get some water and light in spite of me. 🙂 Thankfully, I am much more intentional about spending time in God’s light.
Lisa, I seem to have the best of luck with African violets, mine bloom and bloom, and are in the largest pots you have ever seen. Both homes I have owned in the past 20 years had very few windows with good, light, but both houses had one window facing east. My violets made their home there & received the first eastern sun everyday.
Actually that goes well with your post, not only should we stay out of the shadows by keeping short accounts with God and confessing our sins, but looking towards the “Son-rise” first thing every day will nourish and strengthen us to bloom for Him throughout our days!
Donna, Love your thoughts about looking to the ‘Son-rise.”
Lisa, we do need the right light. So often we are basking in the wrong light and getting anemic and sick because we are caught up in finding light, not realizing it is the wrong kind of light.
Lisa, once again you have made me think. It’s important to have the right light!
I do hope your African Violets bloom again! “You are the light of the world…” Matthew 5:14
In the light… I never considered there was a wrong or inadequate light. I’ll have to think on that- I’m already running with it! Thanks!
Lisa, I was once given two African Violet plants to babysit for a time. I had never been successful with them but these must have been in the right spot. When I returned them a long time later, they not only had both grown but the flowers were incredible. You have pulled beautiful thoughts on light from these plants >> “I want more blooms, too. I want to stay positioned to soak in the light.” So grateful He does the work as we stay in His Light.
Oh! I love this thinking about the connection between light and fruit bearing!
And I am the kiss of death to all house plants… Which is crazy because my garden flourishes!
Lisa, you know I love a good plant story! I had several African violets that all died in a moving van on a very cold night, but that is a story for another time. 🙂 I love how you’ve applied this to staying in God’s light and enlisting His help when something is in the way, especially if something we are less-than-equipped to move ourselves.
Yes, we so need the True Light in order to bloom, Lisa. Thank you so much for this insightful post and series! I hope your African violets bloom again! Love and blessings to you!
Beautiful words! Thanks Lisa
Beautiful illustration that we need His Light to thrive and produce fruit (blooms).