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Comfortable to Thrive in Our Soil

Writer's picture: Hannah TekleHannah Tekle

Updated: Jun 26, 2022

Krayot, Israel



“Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.” (2 Corinthians 10:12)


In the dry weeks following Passover, bristly hollyhocks suddenly appear across the landscape of Israel, thrusting skyward out of the rocky soil, often growing to the height of a man. Like accidental bouquets, clusters of bright pink blossoms are arrayed along the length of its slender stalk. Hollyhocks are a surprisingly elegant looking flower for the harsh terrain in which they grow.


At the top of the flower’s long stem grows a schizocarpi “mother” pod containing seedpods that will dry up at the end of the growth season. The dried seeds scatter in the hot wind of the late summer and are then watered in the winter rains before the next spring.


In recent years, this native Mediterranean wildflower has also been sown intentionally along highways and highway medians in northern Israel. Organic, “grass-roots” landscaping like this is one of my favorite things about Israeli aesthetics. In landscaping trends, there are those who prefer the ultra-manicured look, while others lean towards a wilder, more natural style. Both can be very attractive, but in this case, I prefer the wildflowers. When considering landscaping resources, choosing plants that naturally thrive in the local climate and soil, is smart.


Compared to the obedient impressiveness of manicured flowerbeds, wildflowers are so casually and surprisingly beautiful, popping up in random and often not ideal spots. Like the Bristly Hollyhock, they just bloom where they land.



These striking pink beauties are so much taller than the plants around them – quite a contrast to the many delicate wildflowers that one hardly notices because they don’t stand out at all. People can be like that too. Some stand out and some do not. Yet, each person is fearfully and wonderfully made. God knitted each of us together in our mother’s womb. He planted each of us in unique God-ordained soil of our own.


The 2 Corinthians 10:12 Trap


Human beings have always compared themselves to one another. The first murder in history happened because one man compared himself to his brother, and wasn’t happy with the comparison. Today our society still wrestles with the same plague of juxtaposition. We often feel compelled to compare ourselves those around us. Yet, just as each flower has its own unique traits and environmental needs, so do we.


These days, the presence of social media further encourages a culture of perpetual self-estimation through the mirror of other people’s reactions and posts. However, the truth is we are only able to shine in our God-given beauty from where we are rooted. Our life circumstances, the family we were born into, our body, the color of our skin, all form the soil from which we then bear fruit. Ultimately, we determine whether or not to bloom where we are planted.


Social media touches on more than our own perceptions of self; it feeds our choices and preferences of community and our affiliations. With live-screened services and online resources available at a click, one’s spiritual nourishment may be out-sourced remotely from a vast number of spiritual families. While new and different spiritual food can be healthy and energizing from time to time, comparing spiritual communities can be destructive – uprooting us, literally or inwardly, from our God-given soil.


Modern society, and perhaps our human nature, encourages us to seek the best, to detect and point out problems for the purpose of fixing or improving them, and in general to go for the highest common denominator. This is true about the food we eat, the spouses we choose, the living conditions we arrange for ourselves, and the list goes on.


The problem with comparison is that it has the potential to poison our roots while spreading toxic discontent to our alliances.


In contrast, God calls us to foster an environment, a “soil,” where each of us can become the best “versions” of ourselves, blooming as He intended. Rather than comparing ourselves to others, we should seek to enrich and enhance our surrounding habitat so that each brilliant “flower” compliments the other.


“…the Lord will continually guide you, And satisfy your soul in scorched and dry places, Giving strength to your bones;

You will be like a well-watered garden, And like a spring whose waters do not fail.

And your people will rebuild the ancient ruins; You will raise up and restore the age-old foundations…” (Isaiah 58:11-12)

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