Touchy Touch-Me-Nots - 17th Aug 2006

I’ve always admired the way a touch-me-not closes its leaves when its touched. I’ve always enjoyed touching them and watching the way the leaves curl and fold up. Probably the first time I had seen them was when I was a kid and had been to this beautiful place called Courtallam. There were loads of touch-me-nots near the place we stayed when we were there and I used to run around and look for them just to keep pushing at them and watch them curl up. Last week I found a few touch-me-nots on a roadside in Bangalore and I made sure I touched every leaf and watched it as it curled up. There were some leaves on the other side of a barbed fence but I managed to push my leg in and touch those leaves as well J.

Last week something had happened that had left me feeling down and I was praying about it and asking Him, why the same issue kept coming up inspite of my conscious effort to set things right. God asked me – Okay, you tell me, there are so many leaves around, but why do you always love to enjoy touching and pushing the touch-me-nots. Well, and the answer was – Because they curl and fold in. God said – Don’t you behave a lot like the touch-me-not? When offended or when facing a problem, don’t curl in or fold in, or go about with a swollen face….. That’s not Christian. Just stand strong and bold like the rest of the leaves and the devil would not be interested in stamping you or in bothering you around. When the devil knows that this child of God cannot be easily offended or saddened or angered or that her mood cannot be easily spoilt, he wouldn’t enjoy or bother stamping you around. As a child of God I shouldn’t be touchy about anything. His children need to be like him – slow to take offense, never curling in or folding in but opening up bravely and smiling at whatever comes my way knowing my Father is in control and my Father will take care of whatever concerns me.

When something happens, just leave it to God. Don’t take it to heart. Take it to God. Leave it there at his feet and continue on your way with a smiling face, and a good mood and no anger whatsoever. This seems like almost impossible sometimes, doesn’t it? But when we make an effort to try, God helps his children. After all its his dream and goal too is for his children to be just like him.


James 1:19 Understand [this], my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener], slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry.