Growing Flowers

Years ago I lived in Atascocita in the Humble area.  I recall driving past a little "taco truck" parked just off of FM 1960.  This was the way an individual lived out their dream of a restaurant.  They began with a good cook, a mobile place, and a visible or populated location.

Many could not afford the expense of running a full restaurant or chose not to for reasons such as leasing space, family obligations or because it was too much of a financial burden to maintain.  As a result, they would take their mobile trucks or small trailers and operate out of them.  Most would do so in peak hours such as breakfast or or lunch for employees.

I would often see the mobile truck on 1960 drawing quite the crowd.  The drive-to location soon placed chairs and small tables just outside of their location.  Then came the cover to block the sun from those choosing to enjoy their meal outside.  They serve nothing more than tacos but options were never an issue. The name Flores Tacos gave me the impression that it was a family run business.

The other day as we drove past that location, I saw that it had indeed grown.  Gone were the small tables and chairs and the truck.  In it's place was a restaurant that could accomodate many times more the customers than those at the truck.  The building was brand new with a mocha colored exterior.  Outside were large letters that read Flores Tacos.

I told my husband that they worked and worked and worked until they grew to what they are today.  They consistently must have put out  a good product, and established a reputation for flavor, and they must have been exceptional at pleasing the customer.  This is what caused their growth.  They never stopped trying.

In looking at the name, flores is spanish for flower and like a flower, this business grew.   Like a flower however, it did not grow without attention.  We must be deligent in watering  flowers and occassionally add a growing product to help them grow fully and beautiful. Last summer we took a vacation and were gone for seven days.  With the drought we were experiencing, our flowers did not get watered and we lost all of them.

So it is with our walk with Christ.  We can not expect to grow if we are not in His Word.   We can not expect to grow if we do no participate in personal and corporate worship.  Neither a restaurant nor flowers can not survive if they are neglected and neither can our relationship with Christ. 

We all start out small.  We take baby steps towards our relationship with Christ but we never stop.  Like a baby, we begin with milk but with growth we crave more. We keep growing by nourshing that relationship with the Word of God.  So if you feel like you are not getting anywhere or you're not growing like you should, nurture that relationship. The more time we spend with God in the Word of God, the more we will grow. 

Flores Tacos never gave up but in looking back they can say "I remember when..." and in looking forward, they look towards success and growth...shouldn't we?

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.  2 Peter 2:2