I have a Norfolk Island Pine in my office that I am trying to nurse back to health. There are 7 sprigs of fresh, plush, pleasant pine scent that I am hoping will take over the rest of the “tree.” The rest is dark green, dry and prickly, with some branches brown and dying. I desperately want this little tree to live again.
Why bother saving it? It was given to us as a gift when my son Ian was born in December of 2012! I think it would be really cool to have this plant live so that Ian can really appreciate life and perseverance and take pride in something that took love and patience to nurture through it’s life.
So, I made a call to the plant company this week; the company that “birthed” this plant through its early months of life. I had gone to the website before I made the call, but couldn’t find the info that I felt like I needed for this delicate process. As I am on the phone with a lady at the nursery, she asks if I had gone to their website. I explained that I had, but didn’t see the in-depth information I was looking for. Then all of a sudden, the lady began to read off information like… “Do not prune anything on the Pine, except the brown tips. Where you prune, there will not be any new growth at that place.” Boy, was this tree in the weeds because I had prune some branches that had become prickly branches! I felt like a purple thumb, not even close to a green thumb.
I asked the lady where on the website she was reading from. She gave the web address from another company. I asked why this website said something different than their own. She said that they do not always put the correct info out there it they don’t have info on the plant that they are selling at that point. She said, “The information your looking for is ‘Not On Our Website!” How can the main nursery, the mother ship, the parent of my Norfolk Island Pine, not give the needed info to help me out! I was truly disheartened! Not to mention how the pine tree must be feeling!
This morning, unlike my Norfolk Pine, you and I have access to a “Manual” to a Father–– to a wireless connection called Prayer that will never give us faulty information. These sources are sources of life and direction, correction and encouragement, forgiveness and salvation. Today, if you are feeling the mixed-matched information of this world, know that the Bible says in Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever!” His spoken and written word–the Bible will never conflict with what He speaks to your heart! There will not be mixed signals. You will never hear Jesus say, “…Not On My Website!”
For all of you Green “Bleeding” Thumbs out there, I have found the right information. I am nursing this Pine back to complete health. I will give updates periodically. I am determined to see this Norfolk Island Pine live again, regardless of that bogus website!