The Transplant

Today, now that the going away party is over and most of my life is almost all packed up I'm feeling a lot better. Our dear friends came over and blessed us with their company and prayers and now I feel as though I am mostly ready to go. Thank you to all the friends that were able to come last night and for all the daddies and husbands who went inside to pray and visit with my sick husband (he had a raging migraine all day yesterday but is much better now, PTL)!


Now on to a topic that the Lord has been developing over a couple months now with me. Transplanting, as in the transplanting of flowers and plants, and how it related to the season we are in.

It was such a confirmation last night when one of my sweetest bestest friends told me she felt like the Lord was transplanting us like flowers (not an exact quote, when I'm emotional, I don't recall things exactly as they are said). I just laughed and cried a little bit more because I know about transplanting and how it is healthy, but it is also a tough process sometimes.

Here is what I can tell you about transplanting flowers in the natural and you can probably easily draw some parellels that would apply to us.

• When you transplant a flower, when you secure it in its new home its best if you cut off all the flowers and cut back 1/3 of the growth, it helps the plant to stop wasting time feeding all those blooms and growth and focus on putting down strong new roots - you cut off all the pretties and let it grow into its new home.
• When transplanting a flower from a greenhouse environment to an outdoor setting, it is considered normal to have a season of stunted growth as the plant adjusts to the new environment.
• Newly transplanted flowers need extra water and fertilizer and attention for their whole first year in their new home to help them stay healthy (especially trees and shrubs).
• If you leave a plant that is ready to be transplanted in its old small pot in the greenhouse it will eventually become root bound and no amount of water will keep it from drying out and eventually dying. If left in the pot in the greenhouse, the growth will become spindly, weak, and unsightly, very few things are ever planted in a greenhouse with the intention of letting it live its whole life in the greenhouse.
• After a year of acclimation and a season of putting down good roots, the following year is usually a year of exponential growth because of that new and bigger and stronger root system.
• In a greenhouse all the elements of growth are pretty much controlled, disease and insect problems are very common place the longer a plant stays in that greenhouse, but plants really thrive in an outdoor environment where there is an element of risk and storms and the wind blows freely around them, so they become strong.

So all of that to say, I am ready to be transplanted. My life may not look real pretty for a while and the process of pruning is always a little painful, but I know we will thrive once we have begun to put down our new root system. 

The Lord talked a lot about vineyards and growing grapes
click here to learn about how to prune a real grapevine.

"The Father is the vine dresser, and [Jesus] is the vine, if I remain in Him, 

I will stay alive...and bear much fruit!" 

- paraphrase from John 15

Thank you Lord! and Amen.