‘Snapdragons’ by form, PX Here.

Have you ever squeezed a snapdragon?  It’s great fun.  The flower appears to open its mouth when you squeeze it laterally.   It looks like the mouth of a dragon, hence its name.  

They come in a wide variety of colors, pink, purple, lavender, white, yellow, orange or burgundy and range in height from 6 inches to 48 inches in the tallest variety.  They are native to rocky soil in Europe, the United States, Canada and North Africa.  
                                                                                     
Snapdragon flowers are actually edible.  Some restaurants and bars use them as a garnish to spruce up their plates of food or drinks!

But the most interesting thing about them is their susceptibility to ethylene gas!  Ethylene gas emitted from fruits and vegetables is a plant hormone which regulates the plant’s growth and development.  You know it exists if you ever placed tomatoes in a paper bag to help them ripen. The bag concentrates the gas and causes the tomatoes to ripen faster.  It can be used by farmers to trick the plants into ripening earlier.     

According to lovflowers.co.uk, because of their susceptibility to ethylene gas, placing snapdragons in a room with ripe fruits or vegetables will cause them to wilt faster!!! 
They need ‘BOUNDARIES’!!

How about you?  Do you need boundaries to keep from wilting?

The snapdragon is the perfect metaphor of the need for boundaries in our lives!  There is a New York Times Bestselling book entitled ‘Boundaries’ written by Dr. Henry Cloud acclaimed leadership expert and psychologist and Dr. John Thownsend, also a respected leadership consultant and psychologist.  The following is a description of the book’s content:  

Having clear boundaries is essential to a healthy, balanced lifestyle. A boundary is a personal property line that marks those things for which we are responsible. In other words, boundaries define who we are and who we are not. Boundaries impact all areas of our lives: Physical boundaries help us determine who may touch us and under what circumstances — Mental boundaries give us the freedom to have our own thoughts and opinions — Emotional boundaries help us to deal with our own emotions and disengage from the harmful, manipulative emotions of others — Spiritual boundaries help us to distinguish God’s will from our own and give us renewed awe for our Creator — Often, Christians focus so much on being loving and unselfish that they forget their own limits and limitations. When confronted with their lack of boundaries, they ask: 

– Can I set limits and still be a loving person? 
– What are legitimate boundaries? 
– What if someone is upset or hurt by my boundaries? 
– How do I answer someone who wants my time, love, energy, or money? 

– Aren’t boundaries selfish? 
– Why do I feel guilty or afraid when I consider setting boundaries? 

Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend offer biblically based answers to these and other tough questions, showing us how to set healthy boundaries with our parents, spouses, children, friends, co-workers, and even ourselves.

I recommend that you read the book and learn ‘When to say YES, when to say NO, to Take Control of Your Life.’  And KEEP FROM WILTING!