the leaning boxwood

I walked out of my garage a couple of weeks ago and this caught my eye. My once straight-up-growing, symmetrical boxwood is now completely leaning forward- growing from the shady porch area towards the light. It’s grown all the way to the front of the planter box, because to keep thriving in this spot, it needs the sunshine. The science nerd and questioner in me googled this. It’s called phototropism which occurs when a plant responds to light by turning in the direction of the light. With too much shade on my porch, my pretty green plant will stay sort of stagnant… dull. Isn’t this a little how we can find ourselves, too? We are designed to respond to the Son and bend our lives towards His light. That’s how we thrive. When we don’t, we are not really flourishing like we were made to do. I have times where I find myself tucked away in the shade. I’m not growing towards the light like I should be. I feel off and a little out of sorts. I think it’s because of how we are made. It’s an innate response to grow towards Christ when He is in your heart. When I don’t seek Him, I remain pretty stationary. I’m thankful that I noticed this leaning porch plant. Every time I walk past it, in or out of my house, I feel a reminder to keep growing towards the light…. His light… of love and grace…. gentleness….forgiveness…. joy and kindness. Just like my boxwood, I can thrive when I grow towards the Son.❤️ John 8:12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”