I had two dead lilac bushes. What on earth was the problem? I had followed the planting instructions from the landscaper. The hole seemed to be the correct depth in the proper location and they had been watered properly. The thought passed through my mind that the neighborhood dogs were using them as their new toilet facility. The nerve! I was happy the lilacs were so appealing, but they were appealing to the wrong creature.
Ready to buy the third lilac replacement, the landscaper and I discussed the situation that was filling his bank account and depleting mine. It seems the hole I had dug had not been deep enough or wide enough. To further add to the deadly situation, the clay in the soil had held the water in the hole, creating a swimming pool in which the plant was drowning.
The answer to my dilemma? Blood and sweat of more digging with blistered hands, but no longer tears and the properly planted lilac thrived.
So, too, in the spiritual world. We dig ourselves into a lifeless hole unless we are willing to devote time and energy to reading the Bible and following the directions for healthy living. With a lot of digging through puzzling passages, creating proper soul preparation, our lives bloom and thrive. But the harvest comes after time invested in labor, which is often not easy. Plowing through Scriptures with the aid of commentaries for better understanding is time consuming and can be intense. But the time invested yields a bountiful harvest of life fruits of our spirits which spreads out into the world in which we live. Beautiful bouquets come after intense labor, but their perfume permeates our lives.
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