I got this free cactus from someone at work. I think it is called a prickly pear. According to the directions of everyone at work, I carefully wrapped it in newspaper and brought it home to plant. It is a 5 inch ear shaped plant. I have never had a cactus, so I thought... "What could it hurt?"
As I got home, I was so interested in it because I had no idea how it would reproduce and grow. There were tiny little needles that you could barely see, but it looked smooth all around, other than the those little needles. The color is a dark, old looking green color. How would it flower, or seed, or make another one?
I let my husband and kids know not to touch it or anything around it. When I unfolded the newspaper, many little needles went all over the counter top. I managed to plant and water this prickly pear cactus with only sticking myself once with an invisible little needle.
Over the next day, both Adam and I got stuck time after time with those needles. They were tiny, and you could barely see them, but man, they really hurt.
A few months have passed, and out grows this light green growth from the top. So fascinating! The outgrowth is long and skinny, and it has MUCH BIGGER, MUCH MORE OBVIOUS SPIKES. No little, invisible needles.
You know, when we are immature and at the beginning of our growth, we have obvious spikes that may hurt people, but people can see them a mile away. It is totally obvious to those around us that if you get close to us that we may hurt you. Sometimes those spikes are to hurt others, and at other times they are meant to protect ourselves. Those spikes hurt, but it is nothing like when they are fed and have time to grow.
As we grow, develop, and learn how to be sneakier in the way we hurt people, those immature spikes slowly become invisible little needles that you cannot see, but only feel the closer people get to you.
What were the ways that you may have hurt people when you were immature and growing?
Assuming you are past that point, what are the weaknesses in you that hurt people when they get close to you?
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Chuck Swindoll once used the image of a pack of porcupines on a cold winter night to describe Christians. "The cold drives us closer together in a tight huddle to keep warm," he said. "As we begin to snuggle really close, our sharp quills cause us to jab and prick each other--a condition which forces us apart. But before long we start getting cold, so we move back to warm again, only to stab and puncture each other once more. Mr. Swindoll also mentioned that the cure to this "porcupine syndrome" is fellowship.
ReplyDeleteJenny