Last year we planted two hydrangea plants in my yard. I had come to love the big multicolored blooms when we lived in Ohio where they grow prolifically. But rather than get big, they struggled to get established, and I found out they do not grow as easily in this climate. It took daily watering to keep the leaves from drooping and they never flowered.
This year, they’re doing much better, but still seem to need a lot of water. One hot day about a month ago, I put a hose on one and left it, intending to come back and move it in an hour. Instead, I forgot and the one plant got about 4 hours of water, the other none at all. The heat literally burned the leaves of the water-deprived one leaving them brown and shriveled. A month later the watered plant is green and growing well. The other still has some brown leaves and is not as big and full.
Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) describes the life of prayer as the experience of watering the garden. When we first start to pray we must learn the discipline of going to the well to draw the water. If we do not learn the importance of prayer, the flowers of virtue will never grow in our lives. We need the water of prayer, not as an end unto itself, but at a vital part of our spiritual growth.
My two hydrangeas are a physical example of this principle. The damage done to the one plant will probably take the entire season to overcome. When I fail to pray, not only do I miss the refreshment of God in the moment, I also stunt my growth over the long term. Even when life is hard, in fact most importantly when life is hard and my soul dry, I need the water of prayer to sustain me. It takes discipline to pray, just as remembering to put the hose on the plants requires my effort. But the water does something that I, myself, cannot accomplish. Prayer opens me to the work of God’s Spirit so that I might grow and produce the fragrant flowers of virtue that will glorify him.
love this blog series so far, sis :)
Posted by: Paula | June 11, 2010 at 06:07 PM