We remember these plants from our days in Haiti where they were a popular plant for fences for a few reasons. The first reason is that they are a tall and fairly sturdy plant that tolerates what are less than ideal growing conditions for many plants. But another reason that the plants are popular as fences is that they are covered with lots of thorns and, when cut or broken, exude a milky sap than can be a skin irritant. You can trim them to whatever height you want and they will just produce more thorny branches. And the trimmings from the branches can be planted to make even more plants. When one looks at aerial photographs of the area we used to live in, these ancient fence-lines stand out quite strongly. We surrounded much of the property we lived on with these plants as well.
In Thailand, we encountered Malayan spurge along trails where we had to be careful not to bang into them. As I was avoiding one tree, I noticed that not all creatures have this aversion to close encounters with the plant. For in one plant I noticed that spiders found the thorns perfectly suitable as anchor points for their webs. The spines that are sharp-pointed to a large creature like myself are rather dull compared to creatures that are about the same size as they are.
In life, it is important to remember that we do not all have the same perspective. It is a good thing to try to see things from another’s point of view. But even then we need to remember that our human perspective is limited by our humanity. We don’t know everything about everything.
This is good to remember when we encounter obstacles in our lives. What may seem like a large or insurmountable problem to us is not to God. And God’s perspective is the one that really matters. Even our perspective about our prayers that we pray to God about our problems can be skewed. I was reminded of this as I was reading in Revelation the other day. I sometimes think that by praying I am putting a burden upon God. Sometimes I even think, “Why bother God with such a thing?” But God’s perspective appears to be different. In Revelation 5:8 (ESV) we read:
And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
Our prayers are compared to incense—something that has a pleasing aroma. So what I think seems to me is more like a stench, to God it is like a pleasant fragrance. The things which are a problem for me to deal with are a pleasure for God to deal with.
Two different perspectives.
And God’s is the one that really matters.
