Growing into the Space

Stock Photo: Not my plants!

One of the challenges of moving includes the downsizing of houseplants. (Which also means that my friends were gifted many houseplants prior to my move!) Upon arriving at my new home last year, I had a small selection of plants that had survived the journey westward. They were planted carefully, and given some time and extra care to adapt to their new environment.

That strategy succeeded, as this weekend I spent some time re-potting some of the plants, that were outgrowing their containers. Some were ready to be divided, as their roots were crowding their pots. Others simply were re-homed to a larger container with some fresh soil. Some are doing just fine as they are, and they didn’t need to go through any re-potting.

In unearthing the roots of one particularly enthusiastic grower, my mind recalled the adage “bloom where you’re planted” – always good advice, to engage with the environment you’re in, to the best of your ability. Putting down roots is wonderful, and being given the space and encouragement to grow stronger and more vibrant is exciting!

This little plant made me consider that had it been ignored, its growth would have stagnated. So, a larger pot should allow it to continue to bloom – and thrive. It’s not that it needed a change of venue, for it seems to quite enjoy the light and warmth it gets in the window – it just needed an amendment of circumstances.

Too often, we get accustomed to one way of being, and we can get stuck there – the lack of growth isn’t noted as a problem. Our spiritual journeys, our prayer lives, our community involvement: we are designed to do more than just survive as we are – we are encouraged to thrive.

Perhaps we too might consider a spiritual re-potting – of ourselves and our faith communities. While we can survive well as we are, I cherish the hope of spiritual growth with an increased opportunity to grow myself, and to be an encourager in allowing otherrs to thrive in their space.