Nature and the Human Spirit - Just Surviving, Not Thriving

Today I strolled around our small piece of Ozark Living created by the Master of all Creation. Since I'm allergic to nearly everything, this is an infrequent stroll. I used to do yard work until Mother Nature and I arrived at an impasse.

My husband and I were placing shrubbery for the nursery workers to plant. I pruned a few old shrubs, including a japonica plant (C. Japonica) or flowering quince, which regularly bears small quinces. The fruit turns from green to yellow by autumn. Squirrels and deer love the mature fruit.

I also clipped two short pieces of a wild climbing rose.

The japonica and wild rose plants were on the property when we bought it 29 years ago.

I marvel at the plants' endurance: they continued to bloom and produce fruit, despite neglect - no fertilizer, no insecticides, no pruning, only watered by rainfall. The fruit and flowers might be larger or prettier, if the plants received attention and care. The plants are just surviving, not thriving.

So it is the human spirit and soul.

Have you ever seen persons just getting by, just existing, just enduring 24 hours a day-- just making ends meet---for what. There is no hope, no joy, no love, no karma, no serendipity, no passion or compassion, no expectations, nothing - just surviving, not thriving.

Why?

Sometimes we marvel at people who "keep on keeping on," without considering what they may be missing, for which they may be longing, hoping and desiring. It is possible we slip into this monotonous, endless cycle of life and yell "Stop the world, I want to get off."

Where is the feeding of the human spirit and soul? Where is fuel for future growth and strength? Where is hope? It seems we neglect the spiritual feeding and soul enrichment [fertilizer], some time a little discipline [pruning and insecticides], water [care], for ourselves and also sharing with others. We think, there will be time for that later..but LATER never arrives.

Integrated in this process is a Loving Creator, who will love, care, provide, cultivate, feed and discipline those who humble themselves before Him; He prepares us to live in the New Eden.

We should be thriving, not just surviving!

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:10