On Love and Spider Plants

I recently read an article by Robyn Huck called On Love and Spider Plants. Here is a quote:

"Every spider plant on our shelves had many shoots that produced sprouts, and those sprouts produced more sprouts. Sometimes the little offspring landed in the pots on the shelf below, and they’d happily root and sprout again.  Eventually, the spider plants cascaded down to the floor. They made such an impact in that room that we called it “the spider room.”

As odd as it may sound, this wall of spider plants reminds me of Christian love. Just as there is something in the plant’s DNA that causes it to produce a never-ending bounty of sprouts, the same is true of godly love. Our outward acts of love toward others (making meals, helping with bills, lending a car, spending time, exhorting, encouraging, etc.) continuously sprout from a heart whose spiritual DNA is coded by the Holy Spirit. Loving others becomes endemic to who we are—part of our character—like sprouting is to a spider plant."

Since the last few years have been stressful; relationship hard; I think I have not watered the Love God had put in my heart. It seemed easier to just tuck it away so that the branches of this love were not trampled on or broken away. But now God is prompting me again to get back to reaching out. After all, "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."  (Romans 5:8), as we are reminded on this Good Friday.

Here are some of the points Robyn points out:

1.  Love is a character trait: I Corinthians 13 shares with us a whole list of how loves acts and responds

2.  Love makes an impact: It furthers the Kingdom of God. FUN FACT: spider plants sprout and hang in the air actually removing toxins and improve the air quality

3. Love connects us with something bigger: FUN FACT: after a few years it is impossible to pick out any individual plant because they are happily intertwined.

4. Love Cultivates Love: It's catching; it's hard to be mad at someone who is happy

After reading this article, I headed to Home Depot and picked up a small spider plant. I'm looking forward to it's cleaning properties (hope I don't have to dust as often) and as it grows and spreads, it will remind me to share the Love that God has put into the heart of every believer.

2 Peter 1:5-8

. . . make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with LOVE. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

PS: I've heard that Rubber Plants are really good at cleaning too - think I will put one of those in my bedroom too.