The Second Chance

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There are many valuable lessons hidden inside nature. Nature itself glorifies God in so many ways. Often our Lord Jesus  Christ taught His disciples by telling them the parables about nature. I have the pleasure to experience the glimpses of nature in my home through my mother's garden. As I was astonished by the exquisite beauty of the orbifolia calathea also called as "prayer plant ", I decided to purchase it and add it to our indoor plant collection. But as days passed by we saw our lovely plant drying and loosing all it's beauty as it could not find the suitable environment. The day we decided to dump it,  a voice inside me spoke- give it a second chance. So my mother repotted it and we gave it a second chance to grow. Everyday with much anticipation I would look into the pot to find a sign of life in it. A ray of hope filled my heart when I saw new stems popping out of my dried dead plant. But to my dismay the green tender fresh stems which I thought would stay fresh turned black and dried at it's edges. "That's it?"- I exclaimed and decided to dump it again. The day I thought to throw it what I witnessed was a rolled tender leaf making it's way out by tearing that black rotten stem. Inside the black dried stem a new life sprung up. The black dried stem which I thought is the end was actually  the beginning of a new life.


This second chance plant taught me a valuable lesson which I would relish throughout my life. It reminds me of the garden of Eden where God didn't give up on me. Where God gave humans a second chance through the atonement of His beloved Son on the cross of Calvary. It reminds me of countless chances God gives us everyday irrespective of our shortcomings. The joy I felt seeing my plant regrow and meeting my expectations made me realize how God would also feel the same when He sees His children growing in Him. The joy our Lord feels when we meet His expectations and make Him feel proud. The joy which heaven celebrates when a sinner gets a second chance and repents of their ways. How wonderful is this second chance !!

This second chance plant encourages me every day as I look into it. It could regrow again as it was strongly rooted. It tells me if we are strongly rooted in Christ no matter how dried and dead we are, we can flourish again. It reminds me no matter how dark and hopeless our situation may look - it is not the end but it could be just a beginning of something new. As I always tend to focus only at the dark black stem, God taught me to shift my focus on the new life which was springing up inside the dark stem. Yes behind every trial there is something new springing up inside us which is moulding us into His image. The dark black stem told me how God can make the impossible possible. With God it's never too late. God may open the closed doors just at the break of dawn. He may answer our years of prayers when we think there is no more hope!! Yes this plant gave me a lesson of hope. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

Everything has its own time, and there is a specific time for every activity under heaven: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pull out what was planted.


Throughout this one month God taught me how patient I need to be with this plant. How I need to nourish it and wait patiently to see it growing. Specially being a parent this was a great lesson for me to deal with my toddler. How I need to be patient with her and let her grow at her own pace. He taught me to give second chances to others and to be patient with them. We all fall but rather than judging others we need to forgive, just as we have been forgiven. We need to restore those who fall just as we have been restored by God. 


Mathew 18:21,22

21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”

22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you,up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.


I'm so thankful that God spoke to me that day and I gave this plant a second chance. If I would not have heeded God's voice, I would not have witnessed this wonder of God. Let us not be ignorant in heeding the voice of God. May God help us to be thankful to the many chances He grants us to grow in Him. For a day is coming when there will be no more chances. The master has given a second chance, He has repotted us into His kingdom, He is giving us everything we need to flourish in Him. All we need to do is to get rid of our darkness and grow for Him. 





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