The Cactus

Florida is known for its lush, green, tropical landscapes, trees and flowers of every sort: royal palms, blazing hibiscus, sublime orchids, Honeybell oranges, and water lilies, to name a few. But a cactus in Florida just seems out of place. Cacti conjure up parched deserts and arid wilderness, not luxuriant tropical vegetation. But this one down the street seems to be thriving.

I don't know much about cacti, except they hurt like the dickens if you get too close and get yourself pricked. I kept my distance from this one. Cacti are succulents and retain water for long periods of time, thereby ensuring their survival in desolate landscapes. Their thorns are actually leaves, but by the time the thorns reach maturity, all the cells in them are dead, even when the spine is still growing. The only living cells in a thorn is at its base.

Now that has me intrigued. At maturity, you can actually look alive, but remain dead inside. Sometimes my spiritual life feels like that.

I ran head-first into the living God when I was in my early 20's. At that time, I did not know one verse in the Bible--I could not tell you if Noah or David or Goliath lived before or after the time of Christ. About all I knew about Jesus was that He was born in a manger and that three Wise Men went to visit Him....But I think I sort of got Jesus mixed up with Santa Claus.

Since that time, I have studied the Bible, listened to countless sermons, memorized Scripture, taught Sunday School and women's Bible studies, and even written a children's book on the attributes of God. I have gone on retreats, journaled, prayed, and now blogged about my faith journey...all in the pursuit of deepening my faith with that living God who heard my cry years ago.

I must be a mature faith-walker by now. . .right? But sometimes I feel dead inside. I may look the same on the outside, but I'm going through the motions on the inside. And I'm not thriving at all.

A fresh encounter with God is not something you can conjure up any time you want one. At least that's not the way it is for me. The most tangible times I've had with God are when I'm caught by surprise, or when I'm not trying so hard to do the right thing, or when I am devastated by my own shortcomings.... God has met me where I'm at in the quiet moments when the TV is turned off or just after I close my eyes at night and try to turn off the noise in my head. That's when I hear God speaking to me, soul-to-soul.

It's Christmas, and for me, it's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle and miss the real message--that Christ came into our world to speak to us, soul-to-soul. This Christmas, I don't want to keep my distance from the Christ-child. I want to crawl up close to the manger and hear Him speak. Just to me. I want Him to breathe new life into my soul and make my heart beat..for Him. I want Him to enter the desolate landscape of my life and make me bloom and thrive and grow.

The most wonderful news is that He delights in doing all that, for anyone who seeks Him, just like those Wise Men...and I bet that means Santa Claus, too.

"The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature." Luke 8:13-15