Plants Need Light

Aaron ran a quick check of something on my laptop last week.  I’m not sure what he was doing, but he noted that it was almost out of memory.  Documents needed to be deleted. 

So I started going through the hundreds of documents, mostly blog articles and book manuscripts, removing those that were already available in a hard copy.  And as I did so, I found a few dozen articles in various stages of completion.  Some were nothing more than an idea and a link.  Others, like this one, were about half written.  They’ll be completed over the next couple of weeks.

One of the reasons that I love working in the garden is that it gives me quiet time to think about life and God’s purpose for us.  I believe he created Adam and Eve to serve as (among many other things) examples for us in hard work and raising our own food.  And this partly because there is so much to learn from plants and how those lessons can be applied to people.

In addition to the right climate to grow and thrive, plants also need light, water, and nutrients (usually in the form of fertilizer).  The nutrients don’t just feed the plant and help it to grow.  They are also essential in other ways often not discussed.  The nutrients help the plant weather storms, excessive temperatures, and drought. 

Limit any one of those essential nutrients, or light or water, and the plant suffers.  The yield suffers.  Vegetable quality suffers.  But the plant still lives. 

Limit two, and you’re really in trouble. 

Weakened, diseased plants, those that haven’t been supplied the proper nutrition and growth conditions, attract pests that prey on them and weaken them more and maybe even kill them.

Some plants, like flowers, need more phosphorus.  Others need more potassium for making seed.  Some require higher amounts of nitrogen because they are so leafy.  People are the same.  They have the same basic needs to thrive—shelter, clothing, food, and water.  These needs must be met before that person can thrive, reach his potential, and be of service to others.  Limit any one and that person is in trouble.  He ceases to be an asset and becomes a liability, unable to care for himself or others.  Weakened, diseased, demoralized people attract human pests and risk their own safety as well as that of the community.

In addition to the tangibles that people require to help them weather the storms of life, they also need emotional support through interpersonal connections.  Remember the “Five Love Languages?”  Words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and physical touch build emotionally healthy people and are every bit as critical as food and water.  Well-nourished and well-loved people are far less susceptible not only to physical ailments, but to spiritual and emotional trauma, or even to minor irritations. Just think about it.  How easily irritated are you when you are hungry?  How much more so when you don’t know where your next meal is coming from?

Our preparations must encompass not only the physical items necessary for sustaining our bodies, but also the emotional reserves and connections for supporting healthy relationships with our family members and friends.

Got food? Got love?