Tending an Orchid

Last fall, a woman prayed over me and said things like "God has great love for this one." She said she saw a flower and as she prayed for, it was an orchid. That God carefully tends me like an orchid. It was a beautiful thing to hear. As a Christian, you know that God does tend each one of us and does love us. But it was neat to hear it so personalized. And, an orchid has always been one of my favorite flowers.

Tonight, I finally began to read the book, Intercessor by Norman Grubb. As I was reading the beginning of chapter 6, it reminded me again of the orchid. What exactly, does it mean to tend one? So I googled.

1. The first hit from River Valley Orchards was uncanny. Here's what stood out to me:

...tending orchids linked each one of us to what was mysterious, beautiful, and profoundly awe-inspiring on this planet in a way that nothing else could...They demand your passion for life. In return, they will reward you with sublime beauty, and, if you're attentive, orchids will transport you to distant and mysterious shores.

And we created the OrchidTalk Orchid Forums to ensure that your journeys leave you surprised and filled with joy.

I don't feel beautiful or mysterious or even profoundly awe-inspiring. But I feel the yearning to be those things. And it does seem as if those qualities could attract others to God. The latter line was interesting because of the word Joy.

2. An article about a woman that says that growing orchids is good for your soul. In one of the last paragraphs, she states that "when she is tending to her orchids, and enjoying it all, that it's not her doing the nurturing. Actually, the orchids are nurturing her."

3. An article on how orchid growing is blooming, had some nuts and bolts.

An old saying goes, "Vua choi lan, quan choi tra" (A king collects orchids, a mandarin collects camellias).

To successfully make an orchid bloom, enthusiasts say, the gardener must have a pure heart and the patience of a saint.

Orchids won’t bring their owners material wealth or social status, they explain. So those with enough dedication to tend to these delicate flowers and wait for their fleeting blooms must do so simply to enjoy the personal challenge and test of their patience.

orchids demand daily care

flowers’ fickle nature

Orchids need light but can’t stand direct sunlight, he explains...must be airy but not too windy, humid but not water-logged. People often use a special net to protect orchid plants from intense sunlight and put charcoal and coconut fibres under their pots to prevent waterlogging. Neglect an orchid for a day or two, and one may return to find a fungus has destroyed the plant.

4. Then, when I accidentally put in my search term "orchid" into the address, I came up of course, with an orchid growers site. Their top reason that orchids may not bloom? Not enough light. In order to move an orchid into a better lit area, you have to do it gradually or it will burn up. Old stems that look dead, may bloom again (reminds me of my peach tree story).

Interesting findings. Some I could take symbolically. But I'm thinking, maybe I should just buy a plant and see how it really works out?