Careful Snipping

Asparagus ferns have much to offer. Their thick bottle brush shape and vibrant green color add a pop to flower beds when used as a border plant. Since they are hardy, they require less water than most ferns, handle direct sunlight and hang on well into our Texas winters. I usually leave them stand until the first signs of spring before cutting them back. Though they turn dry, brown, and dangerously prickly when bitten by a hard freeze, there is still life deep down beneath the surface of the soil. Great care must be exercised in cutting away the dead fronds. If you trim without care, fresh new growth falls victim to the sharp slice of garden snips. What a lesson!

Our lives suffer seasons of change just like plants. While a relative or acquaintance may turn dark and prickly from sin on the surface, we know the potential for fresh spiritual growth still exists deep within. In our haste to rid their lives of the destruction we see on the surface, we often snip away with cruel, judgmental ranting. The result is destruction of the fresh growth trying to break through.

I’ve learned to be gentle in cutting back my asparagus ferns. If care isn’t exercised, I end up with sore fingers from squeezing the dead fronds too hard. By taking it slow and snipping one frond at a time, I’m able to work my way safely around the fresh new growth. With care, that fresh growth will thrive.

“Conduct yourselves with all humility, gentleness, and patience. Accept each other with love.”

EPHESIANS 4:2