We have an aloe vera plant in our home. In fact, we’ve had aloe veras for most of our married life. It became a part of our family out of necessity. Both my wife and my daughter tend to burn themselves while cooking. The juice squeezed from an aloe vera stalk helps diminish the pain and reduce the damage from minor burns (this is not intended as medical advice).
Another fascinating characteristic of the plant is its ability to survive during prolonged dry spells, like when I forget to water it for a few weeks, I mean if that were to happen. 😉 When watered, the plant is efficient. It absorbs the water and stores it in its stalks like water tanks. But it doesn’t just ‘hold’ water. It transforms the water into a healing balm.
A Corollary
They are an amazing plant. When I looked at our plant today, I could see a corollary to the life of a Christian. The Holy Spirit lives in us, but He doesn’t just reside in us; He changes us, teaching us Truth and helping us to grow to be more like Jesus.
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:18
God is in us, and He has prepared us as a balm to minister to the needs of others. Like the aloe vera plant, we are changed by the Holy Spirit within us and the Scriptures we study, the sermons we hear, and the worship in which we participate. Then, in an instant, when someone near us needs help, we have within us what is required. Praise God! How wonderful God is.
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