Now I See It

It started with a phone call between me and my sister. It went something like this…

Me:  Hey, my Avocado Plant is wilted, losing leaves, and might be dying. I’m texting you a picture right now. Tell me what to do.

Martha: For the hundredth time, it’s a Fiddle—leaf fig, not an Avocado Plant.  Hmmm. It does not look good. Did you move it?

Me: No

Martha: Possibly over watering?

Me: Nope

Martha: Is the air conditioner on it?

Me: No (getting impatient now)

Martha: What’s different, then?  Something is!

Me: Nope. Not one thing (at this point I’m over it)

Martha: I know you want to throw it away, but don’t. You’ve had that plant for ten years. Something is different, so figure out what it is, and change it. It will be fine.

After our conversation, I head out for a jog, talking to God as I go. In addition to my mystery plant problem, there’s been something weighing heavy on my mind. The kind of something that wakes you up in the middle of the night and makes your heart pound in your chest. I’ve worried about this long enough—I need to sort it out.

I pick up my pace jogging, and quickly get lost in my thoughts. I pour my heart out to the Lord, asking for answers. I tell Him I need peace, and I hope He’s listening because I’m tired. I’m irritated—possibly a bit angry. I’m weary, and I want, no, I NEED a solution!

Before I know it, an hour has passed, and I run out of energy and words. I walk the rest of the way home feeling defeated because I still have no idea what to do about my plant or my problem.

I walk in the house, hot and sweaty from my run. I kick off my shoes, pull off my socks, chug down some water, and sit right next to the fan in our living room.  I close my eyes and let the fan cool my face, and then feel something touch my bare foot.  I open my eyes, look down, and see a leaf from my Avocado Plant err I mean Fiddle—leaf fig, right next to my feet, and for the first time notice the fan that is literally two feet from it. As the fan oscillates, I watch it blow air directly on my plant and then another leaf breaks off and falls to the ground. I gasp. It’s the fan! I moved it there about a month ago and that’s when the leaves starting drooping. Oh my gosh! How did I miss that? I turn the fan off and call Martha. She laughs when I tell her what happened “I knew it. How did you not notice the fan? It was literally right in front of your face!”

As I’m talking to my sister, my mind drifts back to my talk with the Lord, and now I see it. I pleaded with Him for answers to my heartache, and now I see the answer as plain as day. I know exactly what my plant needs, and even better, I know what I need to do to find my peace again. Thank you, Lord.

I apologize to my Fiddle—leaf fig, move the fan into another corner of the room, and the next morning when I wake up, my plant, who was down to her last four leaves, was not drooping any longer. She was standing tall and looked happier. And I felt better, too. You see, all along the answer was right in front of me, but I was too enmeshed in my worries to see it.  I just needed to open my mind to a fresh perspective and pray for God to lead me. Which He did. He always does. 

Moral of the story?  Sometimes the answer is right in front of you, but you’re just too close to see it.  Take a step back, pray for guidance, breathe deeply, and you just might see your circumstances through an entirely different lens. Yes and Amen!

Oh, and never put a fan right next to your plant—turns out they don’t like it.