What You Thought Was Dead Is Still Alive: A Lesson from the Tuna Plant

There’s a certain kind of strength that only comes when something you thought had promise suddenly looks lifeless. You plant a thing with hope. You expect it to grow. You water it, wait, and watch. But then… nothing. That’s where this story begins.

Right in front of our house, we had a Tuna plant. If you’re Jamaican, you know what I’m talking about. That thick, tough-skinned plant full of health benefits—used for cleansing, for inflammation, for the hair, even for wounds. We believe in it. We’ve seen its power. It’s been part of our home remedies for generations.

There was a big one we had for a long time. But one day, it came down. We don’t even know how it fell. I took some pieces, hoping to give it a second chance, and I planted one right there near the house.

Weeks went by. It stayed still. Then it shriveled. It dried up. And eventually, it looked like it died.

And that was that.

Nobody went back to check on it. We didn’t even notice it anymore. In our minds, it was done.

But this morning—as I was outside exercising—I looked down, and what did I see?

Three brand new sprouts of Tuna breaking through the soil. Right where I thought nothing would grow again. Out of what we all believed was gone—life showed up.

I stood there, quiet. Almost in shock. Because it wasn’t just a plant anymore. It was a word. A mirror. A moment.

It reminded me how we do the same thing with dreams. With ideas. With purpose. With ourselves.

We plant something with high hopes. A business. A ministry. A vision. A relationship. But when it doesn’t look like it’s working, we stop checking. We stop believing. We say, “That’s dead.”

But it’s not. God was still working in the soil.

Just because you don’t see growth doesn’t mean it’s not happening.

There’s a scripture that came to me instantly—Isaiah 43:18–19 (NIV): “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”

We’re so quick to give up on things just because they take time.

But sometimes the death of a thing is not the end. Sometimes it’s the beginning.

The seed has to die before it produces fruit. The Tuna had to fall before it could rise again. And sometimes, the dream you thought was over is just underground—gathering strength.

This isn’t just about a plant. This is about your life. Your calling. Your voice. Your second wind.

Maybe you feel like you’ve lost momentum. Maybe life’s storms knocked the wind out of you. But hear me when I say: God is not finished with you. The soil is still active. The spirit is still moving. Purpose is still planted.

What you thought was dead is very much alive.

It might not look like it. It might not feel like it. But something is already springing up.

Check the soil again. Look again. Pray again. Believe again.

You haven’t seen the last of what God planted in you.

Because even when you forgot about the dream… He didn’t.

— Alecia S. Spence