Room to Grow: A ZZ Plant

Twelve years ago, I received the gift of a ZZ plant. ZZ is short for Zanzibar. When I first received the plant, it was in a beautifully decorated stoneware pot that was small enough to sit on a table in my office. It didn’t require much care, minimal water, a little laughter, and some small talk. It kept growing and expanding over the next few years.

Five years later, ZZ had grown significantly. To continue to expand, it would need more room to grow. Not having a green thumb, I took the plant to a nursery, selected a new pot, and let them work their magic which they did. It was at this same time that my work experience was changing, and the thought came to me that I too needed room to grow and that maybe ZZ was a metaphor for my life.

Three more years have passed, and my plant is due for another transplantation. It has outgrown the huge pot it now sits in. I’ll need help getting it to a nursery this time because of its size. Once ZZ is removed from the pot, the gardener will prune the roots and soil to remove the moldy and tightly coiled areas. Pruning stimulates a plant’s natural healing process and promotes healthy growth.

Like a plant, if we don’t make adjustments, we stop growing. Our spiritual roots need to be pruned and stimulated in God’s soil. Those things that are keeping us stuck need to be cut away. Then, we can breathe again. This new growth helps us to mature spiritually and grow in a new place or new position in life.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV).

This Reflection is from my book available online at amazon.com: Living Water for the Thirsty Soul: 365 Stories of Hope Health & Healing