Have you ever heard the expression… Bloom where you are placed? I’ve heard that my whole life. In fact, my wife often tells people that when we are doing counseling and ministry. It’s a favorite phrase because it has a much deeper meaning than you might think.
Did you know that the true definition of the word “bloom” has nothing to do with springtime? That’s right… Nothing! It’s not about blue skies, the length of days, or well watered sun soaked pastures of green. The meaning of the word “bloom” is actually equated with maturity. The pinnacle of growth for a flower is when has grown and matured. This can happen in, what some consider to be, impossible circumstances. Join us on Sunday as we see how God can use us wherever we are and in whatever situation we’re in.
In the same way that seeds are planted in the earth, we are also planted. Go back to the Scriptures. Notice how many times humans, especially children (and procreation) reference seeds. Look at Matthew 13:1-23, the Parable of the Sower, and see how the hearts of men are compared to the ground where the gospel is sown. Each person is different.
Sometimes we are planted in a loving, meticulous, strategic and organized way. Right into good soil that was prepared long in advance. We think we can pick the perfect spot to plant ourselves. We think it’s safe to bloom and blossom in this place and during this particular season. But we often forget that most of us don’t have a choice in where we are planted. Some happen to be in a rocky relationship or a thorny and checkered past. Others are so weak in faith that they have no roots to be grounded in the first place.
Why is it we want to focus on the soil of the heart? Or the excuses for which we’ve come to Christ? Like our past determines everything? Maybe we’ve forgotten the clean slate that is given to a believer. II Corinthians 5:17 says that the old has passed away and all things are made new. It is arduous to come to Christ with a laundry list of excuses.
Regardless of the soil, we’ve been planted in Christ (Colossians 2:6-7). We’ve been planted physically wherever we live and work. We’ve been planted spiritually in the circumstances and spiritual warfare that surround us. We’ve been planted in relationships where conditions may (or may not) be beneficial to our own personal growth as a believer.
The bottom line is that God is the one who plants us. He is the Gardener. We can question His motives, His timing, His ways, or a host of many other things. But that is the cold, hard truth. He knew when, where, and how your heart would be the most fertile. The season means nothing. As I write this blog, in the middle of January in the deep South, I am gazing out my window at lilies, roses, flora and fauna actively thriving. They coming to life this morning as sun rears its head in the morning.
I’m convinced that no matter the season of life God has planted, rooted and kept me to bloom right here and right now. I couldn’t resist God’s plan. I should be thankful for God’s providential work. When I struggle to understand how God works, I just need to have faith in the Gardener. Because He has faith in me.
You are loved!
Dr. Ray Reynolds
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