I've heard it said, and have pondered it quite a bit, the phrase, "Bloom where you're planted". It actually goes along with the scripture that speaks of taking no thought for tomorrow……."Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” Matthew 6:34. I’ve been at a lot of places in life, some were pretty comfortable, while others were full of trials and hardships. One thing is certain that whatever situation we may be in, although at times it may be difficult to accept and deal with, we need to learn to bloom! It’s been said many times that the way we react through the difficult times shows our true character. I hate to admit it, but I must say that there have been times when I have failed miserably. I've never been a person of violence or wrath but, I do grieve and take hurts very deeply and therefore, I shut myself up and don't respond to people probably in ways that I should. I am not always open to others suggestions or “advice”, because I simply feel like that if they have not been in my shoes then they can't really tell me how to react, or how I should feel, because they haven't experienced that same pain and sense of rejection. If they only walked a mile in my shoes then they'd probably want to give them back.
Although I've had a difficult life through different stages and ages, I do know that there are others out there who have had it worse and are dealing with worse things than me. As a child, I went through several periods of abuse and the Lord has so graciously healed those wounds. Why is it that as an adult we find it harder to deal with and to forgive those who have used and taken advantage of us in various situations? How you deal with adversity as an adult will be different than that as a child as you have a sense of more control. That being said, the pain doesn’t get any better, whether, physical, sexual, mental, or even verbal abuse, the struggle is just as real. Age, however, gives us more of an understanding and an ability to cope with things more wisely.
Sadly, some Christians are more apt to cause pain than non Christians as they tend to have judgmental and self righteous attitudes. The saying is true, “The Christian army is the only army that kills its wounded.”. For that reason I left the church for a while after being “in church” and serving the Lord all my life. I can't say that I really ever quit loving my Savior, but I quit loving the people who claimed to be “His” children, and were suppose to be showing His love and serving as His hands extended. Rather, they tended to be critical and judgmental while putting on an act around others of the "power" they held and the "close" relationship they had with my Father, Jesus Christ. Being raised in a critical, religious, judgmental environment, I have always felt like the outsider, because I never felt like that I could have that attitude. I don't know, maybe it was because of the adversities I had faced as a child and teenager that helped me to realize that there are so many hurting people out there, and most likely, when someone isn't living the way YOU think they should live, they are facing difficult times too. Everyone deals with things differently.
I must say that as I got older, through my teenage years, the Lord started teaching me to "bloom" no matter what the circumstances in my life. Although I may not have been living by the standards of some, I was reaching out to others around me, and also to the hurting, no matter their lifestyle. There is a world of hurting people and SOMEONE must reach them. They may not look, feel or even smell as you think they should, but they are reaching out for help. Sometimes we like to stand back and make statements like “Well they shouldn't go out there looking like that to preach Jesus. Well, the way those people appear and act, and the attitudes they have, they will never reach anyone.”. We aren’t the ones who call others to go out into ministry. The Lord will use different people in different ways. So just because someone doesn’t match your opinion of what they should, doesn’t mean HE hasn’t equipped them for a ministry appropriate to the needs of a certain group of people.
Although I have not always proven to be the best in the blooming process, I have been blessed to have His strength to do so in some very trying times. One being the time at which my husband left after 9 years of marriage. The Lord comforted me greatly through that time, and although I had many fears of the future and being able to survive (as I had never been on my own other than in Bible College), I remained strong in my faith in Him and allowed him to use me through ministry in counsel and song, even through time in prayer with other hurting people. I chose to bloom in the situation because I wanted to be positive and show what Jesus could do in even the most difficult of circumstances, despite what the “church” said about not being able to be used in the situation I was in at the time.
Through all the emotional ups and downs of rejections and pain, I reached a point that I failed to bloom in my place. I allowed the lies and judgments of others to keep my from my purpose. The storms that raged in my life began to batter me and I did not stand firm and produce a lovely fragrance. There is no pain, no person, or thing, in this world worth you allowing yourself to slip away from your walk with Him. Jesus is the one who provides the SONshine and nourishment that we need in order to bloom as He has called us to. Although I’d walked away, there was still this love in my heart for Him that gave me that little constant reminder that I could not flourish as long as I was away from the path He’d chosen for me. Everything seemed that much harder to face. I had bitterness in my heart toward "Christians" in general because of the pain they had put me through. During my time away from Him, it was amazing to me at the people that come out of the woodwork calling or emailing me for prayer and counsel when I felt like, and knew, I was at a place where I couldn't. I couldn't show them what they needed to see and hear because of the pain and emotions I was going through and even though I had been through everything else in prior years, this time was different because I wasn’t walking with the One who had always been my source of Strength. We MUST, as Christians, bloom where we are planted. There is a reason you are where you are today!
The time came that I knew I just could not take one more step without Him walking with me. During my time “away”, I continued to listen to Gospel Music, as that’s all that I’d ever known. While driving to work one day a song from Karen Peck and New River began to play. You see, I still didn’t understand they why’s of everything, but the one thing I knew is that I could not make it without Him! The words, ”In the meantime I'll be thankful for all the times He's answered me before. In the meantime I'll be peaceful. Not anxious for anything the future has in store. It's not easy waiting, but it's always worth the time knowing that the answer is in better hands than mine. I'll trust Him, I will praise Him in the meantime!" The seeds had been planted, the watering process had once again begun…now it was time to BLOOM, despite my feelings.
Just as Springtime brings forth beautiful blossoms, He will cause us to bloom. Have you just looked around and noticed how that not ALL blooming plants are planted in beautiful flower beds and gardens? Some of them are even isolated, yet they shine vividly. I’ve seen some that have even been beaten down by terrible storms and heavy rainfalls but as soon as the sun would shine, they would straighten up and continue to create their prior beauty. My mind goes to what those plants had to go through to reign in their splendor. Someone had to plant, nourish and water them. They even had to remain in a dark place for a season before they burst forth. Their purpose, however, is greatly fulfilled when they spring out of the ground and grow and blossom into their full glory. Can you see the comparisons?
What has come at you? What’s beaten you down? Think about that, THEN, think about all that HE has invested into you, then there are those He has sent to water and fertilize what He placed inside you.
Let’s take a minute and meditate on what God has brought us through and how we can use that to shine as radiant blooms of a mature plant.
Bloom where you’re planted. Don’t worry about where it is for the moment, just bloom. It may be where you are just for a season, then He may choose to pluck you up and transplant you into more tender soil, but bloom where He has you now and watch the rewards you will reap.
Don’t allow circumstances or other people to stop you from reaching your full potential and from reaching out and pulling others out of their pits of desperation and pain. God has place us where we are to bloom for His kingdom. Where are you in life? How are you blooming? Thank You Lord for simple reminders of WHO You are and WHAT You can and will do in our lives. As we open our hearts and try to forgive and begin the healing process we look forward to the future. We choose to soak up Your Son and allow the rays to mature us into something beautiful for Your purposes. Thank You that it is You the plants us where You want us and it will be You that brings the increase in our lives.
Ok, now, how about we just go out and BLOOM WHERE WE’RE PLANTED! :)
