Daily Devotional

In and around my house I have lots of different succulents and cactuses. I like succulents; they are hearty, easy to care for, and transplant well. Aesthetically, they have so many wildly unique features that make them endearingly cool. If provided the right circumstances for their health and growth, they will pretty much live indefinitely as living testaments to God’s creativity.

“Spiny Boi” is a columnar shaped, Easter Lily Cactus (Echinopsis Oxygona) that shares a pot with some French Lavendar and Aloe Vera along the path leading up to my front door. Over the years, this dude has had some nice, vertical growth, and he doesn’t obstruct the pathway and for most of the year I don’t pay much attention to him as his needs are minimal. This inattention has led me to brushing against or backing up into his spines which dutifully deliver a painful reminder that he is there, and I should be mindful of his space. Apart from the occasional brush up, the only other time I pay him significant attention is when it is time for him to flower. Once a year, usually in the beginning of summer, he will produce one, sometimes two, large, magnificent pink lilies. For those of you who know, these lilies look similar to Easter Lilies (hence the name), and they will stop you dead in your tracks if you are fortunate enough to encounter them.  Easter Lily Cactus typically blooms at night through early morning before closing. They also only bloom for few days before withering. If you aren’t paying attention, you will miss the show and you will have to wait a full year to catch them in their full glory again.

This past winter tragedy stuck.  Someone, presumably one of the many daily package delivery drivers who come to my residence, struck this cactus, causing a severe break of the body which left the plant looking like it had been broken in two. I provided what care I could and waited to see if he would pull through. Over time the break in his outer carapace healed over, although his shape changed from a vertical “I” to a downward facing “L”.
In the first week of June, I was greeted by two large pink flowers as I left for work. I rejoiced as it appeared that he pulled through and made some flowers for me to enjoy. The following week he grew two more flowers. Two more in the third week, and finally, his last two of the year which bloomed on July 4th (Happy Birthday America). Initially I was pleased by Spiny Boi’s overproduction of flowers, and I researched if there was a cause. What I discovered was bittersweet – a healthy Easter Lily Cactus will only produce a few flowers in a season, a severely damaged or dying one produces as many flowers as it can to spread its seed. The bonus flowers come with a steep cost as the plant shifts its energy from growth to reproduction.  

Isn’t this the same truth for all of those you follow Jesus. His one life, for the life of all mankind. This payment is bittersweet, like the lilies on my cactus. To be effective proclaimers of Christ’s sacrifice, death must occur within us. The of our death of our pride, anger, jealousy, rage, selfishness, and self-righteousness. When our eyes are turned from darkness to light, we can see the afflicted, persecuted, and the suffering. When we ourselves suffer our own affliction, persecution, suffering, we can empathize with fellow sufferers, and we can respond to our position with life! If we choose to respond in the ways that lead to death, we squander the high position (James 1:9) God has placed us in. Responding with humility, gentleness, kindness, joy, and love are like fragrant flowers, radiantly spreading beauty and cheer, glorifying the Creator, at the cost of their own life.  

"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion 'Your God reigns!'"
Isaiah 52:7
 

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