No Substitute for the Truth

2 little weeks ago I posted about missing the window to prune my roses, but cutting them back anyway.  Statistics tell us that as parents we have small windows to teach our children certain things, expose them to various experiences and flavors and encourage desired behaviors, and if we miss those windows... well, who knows what will happen to our kids!!

And if we don't prune our roses in the right season, we're doomed!

But just as I know that it's never too late for change, growth and transformation in God's economy, I decided to hack down my roses anyway and to discipline my children with the hopes that God is not bound by a certain window of time and nothing is impossible with Him!

Well, just 2 weeks later, here is that same rose bush!

Only 2 weeks later and there is visible, healthy growth!

As I was looking at this rose bush today, aside from being thrilled that I didn't listen to the gardeners guide to healthy roses!, I was struck with another bit of truth.

We've been suffering from a much publicized drought here in California for quite some time.

We ration our water and only water our gardens on Mondays and Thursdays or else we get fined heavily!  Our plants are limping along just fine, but this past weekend we got some solid rain! And I kid you not, the growth after the rain is undeniable.  Almost the very next day we could see new shoots and buds spring forth on our plants and bushes!  It's unreal.

We never see that obvious growth from the sprinklers or the hose.

But the rain, pure, falling from heaven rain, nourishes like none other and spurs new growth immediately.  There is no substitute for the rain.

Made me think of Truth.

Word of God Truth.

Nothing yields more growth and abundance in our lives than the Truth of God.

So many other substitutes can help us limp along, scrape by and "make it."

But there is no substitute for the absolute Word of God that is pure Truth, falling from heaven, to heal our wounds, bring light into darkness, cleanse our mistakes, remove our scars, and

spring forth new life in dead, hopeless areas.  

It's just unmistakable.

Where do you need new growth in your life?

Are you looking to other things to nourish you and bring about change?

I encourage you to simply read the Bible, surrender to God's Truth and allow His Word to transform you in the healthiest, longest lasting way.

Is It Too Late?

El Nino El Schmino!

Where is our rain?

So Summer has officially hit Southern California, 90 degrees, one 64 degree day of rain, followed by another 85 degree day!  They lied to us.

In the midst of this Summer heat, I totally forgot to prune back my roses.

Usually I cut them way back to nubs in January, but I kinda forgot that it was winter!

"Shoot, I forgot to cut back the roses last month," I said to my husband.

Walking out and looking at them today I found that they're thin and spindly.  

They have already sprouted some new growth and buds at the end of gangely branches.

They look horrible.

Do I cut them back now?

Is it too late?

Did I miss the window?

I don't know, but I knew I couldn't leave them growing as they are.

They look horrible!

As I stood in the hot sun, hacking at the rose bushes, wondering if they'll come back full and nice, I thought about parenting.

We are flooded with statistics these days like, "a child has fully formed their personality by age 3." AKA, if you're kid isn't super polite and kind and compassionate by 3, you're screwed!

Or "the brain has fully formed by age 5," so if you're kid isn't reading Shakespeare, speaking 2 languages and mastering 3 instruments by 5, most likely they won't be going to college.

(these aren't actual statistics, but you know what I mean!)

Or any of the other things they tell us to make us think that we've missed the window and it's too late as parents!

I've been feeling this way a little bit lately as some ugly behavior that was never fully extinguished is now growing in a spindly, hollow, ugly way.

Is it too late?

Should I have cut that off a few years ago?

Did I miss the window as a parent to form polite, gracious children?

 As I chopped the roses, getting stuck with thorns and burned by the sun I again thought of parenting.

It is never fun to discipline a child.

It is painful and we can easily get burned.

Isn't it easier to just stay inside where it's cool and avoid the hard work?

It's too late any way, they are who they are.

But like the roses, I can't just leave them that way.

Growing wildly without boundaries or attention.

It's so unattractive.

And even if there are a few great moments of politeness, like new buds on the ends of ugly branches, they still aren't appealing.

I really believe that it's never too late to correct a child.

Discipline is done out of great, deep love.  And we all know it's never too late to love someone!

No matter how out of control we feel or overwhelmed, it's never too late.

And just like I'm confident that my hearty, stubborn roses will come back beautifully, I know that children can be trained and transformed, even past 5 years old!

So, regardless of what the books say, I'm pruning roses and kids!

Because no matter what the season is, they both need it!

(I'll post pictures in a few months to see the new, beautiful, healthy growth!)