After 10 days of neglect while we were away, our plants are finally reclaiming some of their former glory. Thankfully, copious watering and nurturing with plant food has revived the flowers for the most part. Instead of the former beautiful blooms, I found the petunias covered with dried, crisp, dead flowers when we got home. They have required a lot of deadheading, which seems to have helped!
Deadheading just means removing the dried flowers to stimulate new growth. If the dried blossoms are left on, the energy of the plant goes to producing seed where the blooms once were. They can come back stronger and more beautiful than ever after deadheading. If the process is put off too long, the plant will stop producing flowers at all.
Isn't that a lot like our Christian lives? If we are deprived of the water of the Word and neglect our souls, our testimony can shrivel and dry up. We can go to seed, so to speak. I guess deadheading is a little like pruning. Getting rid of the unnecessary to allow growth and beauty to show forth.
Jesus talks about pruning in the Bible. "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit," John 15:1-2.
Occasionally in deadheading, it's best to take away the whole stem, so the rest of the plant will grow stronger. According to experts, it is better to begin deadheading plants early for more beauty and color later in the season. By the same token, when we realize an activity or involvement in our life is going nowhere, is not productive or beneficial, especially to our spiritual life, the earlier we cut it off, the better.
Frivolous entertainment, excessive use of social media, the wrong friends and relationships, or any number of distractions can sap our time and energy so that we have no time to nourish our spirits. We need to deadhead some of these things! Prune off some unnecessary branches!
Kind of like going on a diet! Leave out the rich temptations and empty calories in favor of good, healthy fare! Soon you will notice a difference in outward appearance, glowing with health and lighter in spirit. The spiritually nutritious meat of the word is the food we need to grow in God. Solomon's words in Proverbs concerning words of wisdom say, "For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh," Proverbs 4:22.
Deadheading or pruning may seem extreme or hurtful, but when it comes to gardening it is really a kindness, and that goes for the gardening of our hearts as well!
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