Time to "Dead-head"

 

Today as I finished my morning run, I noticed that some of my flowers needed some attention. This is an actual picture of them. They had been beautiful, but now they needed to be what is known as "dead-headed" - at least that's what I know it as. It simply means that you go in and pinch off the dead blooms so the others can shine! In another few weeks, I'll need to prune the entire bush, but that's a blog for another time.

As I reached down to pinch off the dead blooms, I had to remind myself that I was not "being cruel" to my plant. (Yes, I have apologized to them as I pinched off each tiny dead flower...) Those brown buds had already had a chance to show off and be beautiful, but now it was time for others to have the same chance. 

As I pinched and pulled, I thought about how as I get older, I feel like my "bloom" has died and it's time to make room for the younger folks and my time has gone, and blah, blah, blah...you know, the same old poor old me tune. That's when it hit me. These blooms were all a part of the same plant! Now you can connect that to the body of Christ of course, but today it hit me - there was actually one plant...a single plant! 

Some are still wondering where I'm going with all this so I'll try and explain. I saw the dead blooms as things God had me do in the past that were wonderful and right. I enjoyed every second of that bloom! But now it's time to let the old works go so that the newer blooms can shine. That doesn't mean that this old plant's time has come to an end - it's just time to do some adjusting.

If you are by chance young and actually reading this, it may not make sense; but for those of use past the beginning plant stages, it might hit home. 

It's easy as we get older to feel like we're of no more use. The blooms that once worked so well have withered and just aren't needed anymore. Our days of raising kids or whatever we used to do are coming to an end if they haven't already. What we're missing is that there are new blooms that are ready to show out! We'll only really notice the new things that God has for us to do when we "snip" off the old. 

Now I'll be the first to admit, I have no idea what my new blooms are supposed to be, but I'm realizing that at 62, I'm not dead and I've got a good bit of life left to give to the Kingdom and those around me! So, it's time to pinch off the old - honestly, I'm asking God what all that includes - and recognize the new. I'm having to ask what that is as well. 

If you, too, find yourself in a season of dead-heading, feel free to share. Sometimes it helps to know we're not alone. And enjoy the new blooms...every single one.

“Forget about what’s happened;
    don’t keep going over old history.
Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new.
    It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?
There it is! I’m making a road through the desert,
    rivers in the badlands." Isaiah 43:18-19 (Msg)