Sitting on a book shelf in our living room I spy two ivy plants. In all the Christmas decorating and rearranging to fit the Christmas tree in, they were set out of the way and forgotten. I can’t remember when they were last watered. Yet they continue to live. They truly are hardy plants!

Did you know plants and flowers can “speak”? Anyone can tell you that giving a red rose to someone means love. Did you know that forget-me-nots say “true love”? Flowering almond means “hope,” spring crocus stands for “youthful gladness” and baby’s breath means “pure of heart.” In the language of flowers and plants, the ivy says “faithfulness.”

My ivy plants came from a tendril of ivy from my bridal bouquet twelve years ago. I got the idea from a college friend who explained the meaning behind the ivy plant. What a wonderful reminder for a couple promising to stay faithful to each other for as long as they live!

Just as my ivy plant reminds me of the importance of faithfulness in marriage, it also reminds me of my faithful God. Faithfulness simply means keeping your promise. If you say you will do something, you will do it. And that’s God! He always keeps his promises!

Just listen to some of God’s promises for you:

• God promises he will care for you. (1 Peter 5:7, Romans 8:28)
• He promises to help you overcome temptations. (1 Cor. 10:13)
• He promises your sins are forgiven through Jesus. (John 3:16)
• He promises to be with you always. (Matthew 28:20)
• He promises to take you to heaven. (John 14:2-3)

There are times I neglect my faith-life. I forget to water my faith with God’s Word. I set my faith on the back shelf as my life gets full of school, family, and work activities that seem so important. I forget to bask in the sunshine of his love and promises, and instead languish in the shadow of my worries and fears. Thankfully, God is faithful, even when I am not! He forgives me, restores me, and helps me to once again grow in his love.

I’m glad God created the ivy, a plant I can grow (and not kill) even when I unintentionally neglect it, because it always serves as a reminder to me of his faithfulness. “For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations”. (Psalm 100:5) That’s a reminder I love hearing every day!