Missy

gave me a hot pepper plant for my birthday. 

The other day I was cleaning and moving things around, and noticed the edges of a few of the leaves were getting crispy and wilty.

I checked the soil to find it dry and pulled out that little tab that tells you "put me in bright sunlight and keep my soil moist"

I'm not a gardener, you know? And so, I had placed the plant with the bright orange peppers in the corner of the room (probably the least amount of light there) smiled at my pepper plant and felt very exotic and unique for having a pepper plant in my room. 

but when it began to die I realized I hadn't read the instructions on how to care for it

how to keep it alive

and had actually done the opposite of what it needed

it occurred to me that I am like this plant

as are you

it occurred to me we often disregard what the little tab says that is shoved into the soil of other people - that tab that informs us where the person came from and how it is best cared for and kept a live because often we are caught up too much in our own heads and our own lives and nursing our own soil

i know i do this.

recently I have been priviledged to live with a family who cares for my soil very well, and a group of bible study girls who want to know my heart, my background, my needs, what keeps me a live - and recently I have been priviledge (that is spelled wrong isn't it?) to date a man who needs me to water his soil

and I am asking God how to do that

and how to step down from checking my own soil to make sure his, theirs is as it needs to be