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Prickly Disposition

Prickly Disposition
Excerpt from Gardens of the Heart

Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 NLT
 
And so blessing and cursing come pouring out of the same mouth. Surely, my brothers and sisters, this is not right! Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? James 3:10,11 NLT

 

 
There are many varieties of cactus, and the blooms are gorgeous.  There’s even a cactus that blooms for one night and then it’s over. Called the Night Blooming Cereus or Queen of the Night, it produces a spectacular white star-like flower.   The Claret Cup is another showy variety with deep red cup-like blooms. 

Despite their beauty, as everyone knows, there’s a very specific problem with cacti.  It’s their nasty thorns.  And not all thorns are the same.  Some have wicked long ones that are easy to see and some have more subtle thorns.  They’re small and even look like a soft fuzzy covering on some of the paddles.  Don’t be fooled!  Those are some of the worst kind.  Once on your hand, they quickly work their way underneath the skin, making it almost impossible to get them out.  If you live in the desert, you learn to keep a safe distance from these succulents. There are other succulents that are thornless.  One of the common varieties is the ice plant.  It’s an excellent groundcover, full of brilliantly colored flowers throughout the season.  It attracts butterflies and bees and poses no harm to anyone who would touch it.

Christians can sometimes be like cacti—a mixture of thorns and beauty that keep everyone at a distance.  But that’s not how it’s supposed to be.  Are you sweet on Sunday and mean on Monday?  Our dispositions should be sweet every day and not full of thorny comments or harmful gossip.  Get rid of the thorns and bloom for all you’re worth.

 
In the Garden Succulents are easy to grow and require little attention.  Hen and Chicks is one of the most common, and you can find it at your local nursery.  Plant a Hen in a rock garden or a sunny spot with lean soil and watch the Chicks appear.

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