What My Plants Taught Me About Healing

For a long time, I was a plant killer.

There’s no cute way to say it - I had good intentions, sure, but every plant I brought home eventually ended up brown, crispy, and very much not alive. I watered too much. Or not enough. I put them in whatever pot was cute. I stuck them in a window and hoped for the best.

And they died. Every. Single. Time.

It was kind of how I treated myself, too - if I’m honest.
Reacting instead of responding. Pouring out too much in some seasons, shutting down in others. Hoping a little light would fix it all. Ignoring the deeper needs.

Then something shifted.

About a year ago, I slowed down. I decided I wanted to actually learn how to care for these little green things. I started reading. I found out that not every plant wants direct sun. That some need to dry out completely between waterings. That soil matters. That moving a plant from one room to another can literally change its whole trajectory.

So I adjusted.
And I started small.
I changed where I placed them.
I learned to check the soil before reaching for the watering can.
I repotted one.
I fertilized another.
And to my surprise - they didn’t die.

Not only did they stay alive...
They started growing.

The Lesson in the Leaves

What changed? It wasn’t the plants.
It was me.
I started paying attention.
I didn’t just hope they’d thrive - I tended to them.

And somewhere between mixing new soil and moving one plant three times before it found the right window, God whispered to my heart:
"This is how I care for you."

Because while I had to research what each plant needed, God never has to guess what I need.
He knows exactly what kind of light I grow in.
He knows when I’m overwatered by everyone else’s expectations.
He knows when my roots feel cramped and I need more room.
And He never rushes the process.

Psalm 1:3 says,
"They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in season, and whose leaf does not wither."

In season.
Not instantly. Not on-demand.
But in time. In care. In His timing.

A Small Plant Tip (That Changed Everything)

Check the soil before you water.
It sounds simple, but it was a game-changer for me. Some of my plants looked dry on top, but the soil beneath was soaked. Others looked fine until I realized the roots were gasping. Every plant has different needs - and no one thrives under a “one size fits all” approach.

Honestly? Neither do people.

A Word for You

If you’ve been feeling dry lately - or overwatered, or rootbound, or just... stuck - I hope this story reminds you of something gentle and true:

You’re not failing.
You’re figuring it out.
And God isn’t frustrated with you - He’s tending to you.

He’s not trying to make you bloom faster.
He’s helping you heal deeper.

And every adjustment He makes - every repotting, every pruning, every nudge into a better light - it’s because He knows you fully.
You don’t have to explain your trauma or your patterns to Him.
You don’t have to get it all right the first time.
He already knows what soil you need.
And He’s not going anywhere.

Keep growing.
Even slowly.
Especially slowly.