Cypress vines are a beautiful lacey vine with little red star shaped flowers. They self-sow readily making them invasive to the landscape scene, but if not wanted, they can easily be pulled with the weeds and grass that is growing in the bed. On the outside of the dog pen fence I have a treated 2×6 board serving to reinforce the bottom of the fence. Some of the seeds from last year’s vines fell along the outside of the fence beyond the board some 6 to 10 inches away. Also, right by that area there is a slanted wooden ramp covered in outdoor carpet. As I observed the cypress vine seedlings starting to come up, at first they grew straight up for 2 or 3 inches. Then over a period of days I watched as the little seedlings started leaning over toward the fence some 6 to 12 inches away. The ramp was closer to them, but for some reason, they leaned toward the fence. I continued to observe in the next days as they stretched the 6 to 12 inches over to the fence and started climbing the fence. Soon, as with last year, the fence will be covered in cypress vines and its beautiful little blossoms. The vines do not get to be all that woody and tough, so at the end of the season, they will easily be stripped from the fence and we will be ready for next year’s crop. The question is, How do those vines know to go up and over to the fence instead of toward the ramp, a support that is actually closer to them? What makes them reach in the direction of the fence instead of the ramp? They grow from the ground through mid air to one or the other, the fence or the ramp, and not one vine is going toward the ramp.
You know that if the God of the universe has a plan for the little cypress vines for them to prosper, don’t you know he has a plan for our prosperity? Jesus taught us to trust him, “Take no thought” or “Do not be anxious” about things of life, but know that your heavenly Father cares and has good things for you (Matthew 6:24-34). As Jesus and the early church demonstrated, God will heal all who come to him believing, he will deliver from the oppression of the devil, he will even raise the dead unto his glory. It’s all in the Book for us to read and apply to our lives by faith in Jesus Christ. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever whether you and I believe it or not (Hebrews 13:8). God will guide us daily in this life, but we need to be born again, baptized in water and in the Spirit, and learn to be led by the Spirit in order to hook up with his perfect plan for us. Following Jesus leads us into God’s plan and eternal prosperity.