by Rhonda Rhea @RhondaRhea

It’s satisfying to find new ways to get to know people. For instance, I learn a lot when I see how a person responds to an expiration date. One person’s red alert: “You ate that Shredded Wheat a day after the date on the box? Thou shalt surely die.”

The next guy’s response: “Expiration dates are not real. If they are, they’re only for the weak. Now please pass me that jar of mayo from 1998. Yes, the one with the gray fog hovering over it.” (Just for fun, could we call this a spoiler alert?)

I also like seeing how people care for their plants. We discover a lot about each other. For instance, I’ve found my personal plant-raising system is different from most. Mine has two stages. Stage one is, “Well hello, beautiful. I will love you and care for you and enjoy your blooms forever.” Which is followed all too closely by stage two, which is, “Oh-my-no. You poor thing. I’m so, so sorry.”

Seriously, I’ve killed succulents. Succulents, ya’ll! All my plants have expiration dates. No surprise, it’s around two weeks post coming home with me. It gets messy over here from the roots up. Maybe I need to get to know more people. People who know plants. Would it be weird if I started conversations with, “Hey, how are you and how are you with houseplants?”

[tweet_box design=”default” float=”none” inject=”#Writing #Writinglife #BRMCWC”]Satisfaction Blooms from the Deepest Places by @RhondaRhea on @BRMCWC[/tweet_box]

Have you ever half-tried to get to know a person by asking how they’re doing? Followed all too closely by your hidden hope they’ll answer with a lowkey “fine” and let it go at that? It’s like sometimes we want heavenly credit for asking the question, but deep down—at our heart’s roots—we don’t truly want to know. There’s the possibility knowing deeply could get heavy. Caring can command investments of time, energy, and emotion. There might be needs to meet, messes to face.

Paul said in Romans 12:10-11, “Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Take the lead in honoring one another. Do not lack diligence in zeal; be fervent in the Spirit; serve the Lord” (CSB). We’re called to the deep places. Loving, caring, honoring, serving with fervor. With “diligence in zeal.”

In other words, this love doesn’t grow without work. We’ll likely never enjoy beautiful, blooming relationships and ministries without cultivating them—digging deep—sometimes getting a little mulchy. Asking the uncomfortable questions. Asking the Lord to give us a caring heart. Asking Him to take us deeper with Him, then asking Him to inspire and empower us to go into those deep places with others. Sometimes climbing all the way underneath another’s messy burden.

In the context of others’ mess-ups, Paul said, “Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2 CSB). There’s a surprise under those loads. Serving others is serving Him, and a surprise, beautiful satisfaction can blossom right there.

Carrying and caring. Let’s cultivate it. Even when it’s messy-mulchy. There’s no expiration date on our call to care.

When it comes to mayonnaise though, different story. I’ve heard there’s a “sell by” date, a “best by” date, a “use by” date, and a “go straight to the ER” date.

Rhonda Rhea is an award-winning humor columnist for great magazines such as HomeLife, Leading Hearts, The Pathway, and many more. She is the author of 19 books, including the popular romantic comedies co-authored with her daughter Kaley Rhea, Off-Script & Over-Caffeinated and Turtles in the Road. Rhonda and Kaley have also teamed up with Bridges TV host Monica Schmelter for the Messy to Meaningful books and TV projects. Along with Beth Duewel, Rhonda writes the Fix Her Upper series, and she also co-authored Unruffled: Thriving in Chaos with Edie Melson. She speaks at conferences and events from coast to coast, serves on many boards and committees, and stays busy as a publishing consultant. Rhonda says you can find her living near St. Louis drinking too much coffee and snort-laughing with her pastor/husband, five grown children, and a growing collection of the most exceptional grandbabies.