Playing in the Dirt: Devotions for Crazy Plant LadiesSample

“I’m Not Crazy....I Just Talk to My Plants”

God’s there, listening for all who pray, for all

who pray and mean it.

PSALM 145:18 The Message

Plants are excellent listeners. If you’ve ever bared your soul to a houseplant, you know. On a discouraging day, there’s nothing like stroking the soft, fuzzy leaf of a bright geranium and telling it how your heart feels heavy. The geranium says nothing, and doesn’t even look you in the eye; it is simply there. Its presence is peaceful.

Call it therapy, call it catharsis, but something about speaking our troubles aloud helps us release them, even if only for a moment or two. To know that something is listening without judgment as we describe irrational fears, moments of jealousy, and the general struggle with day-to-day life, allows us to feel safe. It’s difficult to admit when we mess up or are scared, but houseplants never try to rationalize our thoughts. They let us be.

They don’t offer up platitudes about how we should feel or what we should do to fix things. Ironically, by not trying to make us feel better, they often do just that.

Why is it difficult to talk to God like we talk to our plants? Maybe we are intimidated by God and fear His judgment on our actions. Perhaps we think God isn’t concerned with our problems, that our feelings are too small or insignificant. Or maybe we used to talk to God in the past, but He never answered, and we lost our faith. Perhaps it feels like talking to God is pointless.

If we think talking to our plants isn’t pointless, then we have to admit that talking to the Creator of the universe isn’t either. We can tell Him about our day, mistakes, and struggles without fearing judgment because He is a good and loving God. He invites us to come to Him. Bare your soul to Him without expecting Him to “fix it” and see what happens. You might find that His presence is peaceful, and in it is all the comfort you seek.

God, I want to feel comfortable talking to You like when I talk to my plants. Thank You for always being available and willing to listen to me, even if it has been a while since I’ve talked with You.