In our house, we are terrible at maintaining plants. Since my husband travels a lot, he doesn’t find time to water them, whereas I only water the plants in the kitchen and “forget” (intentionally) to water his Money plant (not like it needs watering, it survives despite my efforts).
We’ve killed a basil plant I was trying to grow, some flowers, lemongrass, a mustard plant, and most recently a potato plant (my husband and I grew it inspired by The Martian except we used normal soil and not what Matt Damon's character uses in the movie).
About two weeks ago, my husband and I had to travel on work and there was no one to water our plants. When I came back, I noticed that the Ajwain plant (does this plant have any use other than its medicinal value to deal with a cold?), and my husband’s Money plant (if Earth becomes like what it does in Mad Max this will be the only plant that survives) had survived.
But my Curry Leaf plant had died! (I say "my" Curry Leaf plant because I had faithfully watered it, nurtured it by putting tea leaves as manure, and used its leaves in my curries and gravies.) The leaves were dry and drooping, and the stalks had fallen off. I was sad. This is the most useful plant in the house, and it was no more!
We just celebrated Easter. On Easter Sunday, our church did something different. For starters, our pastor spoke about death, and not resurrection. Something from his talk (which is available here) which stood out to me, was that Christ has turned the penalty of death into the privilege of death. He spoke about how our physical death is inevitable, but it is not undefeated, because this physical death becomes the gateway to eternal life with God. He then spoke about the process that takes place for a plant to grow – you plant a seed, which has to die, and out of it springs new life. This thought was new, and eye-opening to me. Death as a means of life.
After the service we came home and I went to the area where we keep our plants and to my surprise I saw this:
MY CURRY LEAF PLANT, ALIVE AGAIN!
I was ecstatic!
I was so excited about my Curry Leaf plant coming back to life (well at least enough to blog about) it made me think about how the green leaves sprouting from that plant signified not just life but new life to me. I love the bright-green colour of the new leaves. It’s just so fresh and beautiful, like spades of grass first thing in the morning, touched by the morning dew.
My curry leaf plant is my favourite because of how useful it is to me, its owner. It can be added to boiling coconut oil (which when cooled can be added to the hair). When crushed into a paste and added with yoghurt/curd it makes a nice hair mask, and adding it to curries (specially dal and sambhar) enhances the flavour. When I cook with these leaves, I am not the only beneficiary! Anyone who eats the food has benefited from that plant. I want to be like that – green!
Now, I don't want to be green like the hulk (angry) nor do I want to be green with envy! I want to be a green like the new leaves on a plant, signifying the new life within them. Easter is celebrated once a year, but I hope that the new life I enjoy because of Jesus will be something others can enjoy all year round.
May my life, like the new leaves on this plant, be ready to be crushed and put to any use! Though most of the leaves on the plant today are lifeless and dead, the new leaves springing from it give me so much hope – may I be the same, even when I am seconds from away from death – “ green” – leading to a new and better life. May my life be evergreen towards my Maker and may it give Him glory, even in death.
