FEELING HOPEFUL

There are a couple of issues I've been dealing with for so long I've pretty much given up on seeing change this side of Heaven, and have resigned myself to accepting. One of them is my aching, hunched over back.

The Lord, however, is using my jade plant to remind me that nothing is impossible with Him.

My jade plant had outgrown the pot it was in, and its woody stem that had grown as thick as a tree trunk, was bent over and rigid (like my back) all because I had not been consistent about turning the pot around to face the sun. 

The plant was leaning against the window for support, and was so heavy it could no longer be turned without having the pot tip over.

With a friend's help, we repotted it into a much larger pot, but we couldn't straighten it enough to keep it from tipping over. We secured it to several bamboo stakes to try and provide enough support to keep it from toppling over and turned the bent part towards the sun, hoping that would cause it to straighten. 

Because of how thick and inflexible looking that stem had become, I honestly didn't expect that to happen--any more than I expected my back to straighten. In my eyes, neglect had caused damage beyond repair to both it and me.

Much to my great surprise, however, only ten days later, I'm noticing that that thick trunk is slowly starting to bend the other way. 

That gives me hope that possibly, if I am consistent in my efforts, my back too could show signs of straightening? I know God is patient and longsuffering and that He never gives up on us, but is this too much to ask or expect?

The devotional I read during my quiet time this morning was full of hopeful and encouraging words that seemed very timely and relevant to my issue, as well as contain an answer to my question.

The gist of the message was that unbelief looks at the past and says it can't be done (my thoughts about the damage I've done to my back),  but faith looks at the future and says it can.

God's mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23), and if we take God at His word, that means we can wake up every morning to a brand new world and live unhindered by the past.

It ended with an exhortation to replace thoughts of yesterday's mistakes with Scriptural promises about the future, and instead of telling myself I can't, replace that with I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13).

A LESSON AND A WARNING

I think there's a lesson and a warning here. I know there is!

My favorite sweet treat, after I gave up chocolate, was a candy known as Maple Nut Goodies, made by the candy company Brach. 

And then, one day, the unthinkable happened. It was no longer anywhere to be found. A Google search revealed the company had been sold to a new manufacturer who kept the Brach brand name, but  discontinued this particular item.

Fast forward to Easter 2026--several years later--when my daughter surprised me with a giant bag of them she had found on a visit to Cracker Barrel. I was so excited I couldn't wait to get home and open up the bag. 

When I did, I noticed the candy didn't look quite the same as it used to, and when I tasted it, it was okayish, but nothing like it used to taste either. Even the picture on the front of the bag, on closer inspection, wasn't quite the same. 

That's when I noticed that it wasn't the real thing. It had not been manufactured by Brach, but by a different company.

Whereas it started out as a disappointment because of the noticeable difference in taste, I kept going back to the bag for more, and each time I did so, the difference started to fade, until gradually I wasn't noticing it at all, and was quite enjoying my treat.

Not that there's anything wrong about enjoying a sweet treat, but the realization of how quickly my taste buds had dulled, made me think of the many warnings in Scripture to stay vigilant in these last days lest we be distracted, deceived, and spiritually blinded as our eyes become more and more fixed on the pleasures and cares of this world instead of the things of God. Always busy, always entertained, but seldom watching and praying or aware of the evil rising around us, until it is too late. (Luke 21:34, 2 Timothy 3:1-4, 1 Peter 5:8, Matthew 24:37). 

Reminds me of the story of the frog dropped into a pot of water that would have immediately hopped out if the water was hot. If the water was cool, however, and only slowly heated, the frog would not notice the gradual change in temperature until it is too late and it gets boiled to death.

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In those days before the flood, the people were

enjoying banquets and parties and weddings

right up to the time Noah entered his boat.

People didn't realize what was going to

happen until the flood came and swept them

all away. That is the way t will be when the

Son of Man comes.  (Matthew 24:37-39, NLT)