Bloom Where You Are Planted

Am I a weed or a flower?

The above picture is from an article about natural substances that act as weed killers. This little flower won’t acknowledge that he is a weed. He just wants to thrive and bloom. We find ourselves in that very same situation from time to time. The world seems to have dealt us a hand that limits our space, crushes our self-image and tells us we are not worth much. Our choice is simple. Do we accept worthlessness or do we press on to bloom?Our decision is simple, we must be a flower and not a weed regardless of our situation. Paul said to them in his letter to Corinth – In whatever condition you were called, brothers and sisters, there remain with God.

That‘s the answer! Remain with God. Never forget that it is God that has designed the wildflower to grow through the sidewalk cracks. He has designed us to grow through the cracks as well as the fertile ground. I like to look at this little flower as a motivator. Tony Robbins, a well-known motivation speaker, charges $230 for CD seminars, and it costs well over $1000 to attend one of his live seminars. The little flower in the crack is God’s free gift to us, and it tells us to bloom where we are planted. Let us learn from the flower in the crack.

Develop an attitude that allows you to let go.

That little guy in the crack was designed to bloom and bloom he did. I believe – I know that we were created in God’s image. Our creator gives us the ability to thrive wherever we are placed. Even in the worst of times, we are given the innate ability to be the person God created. We can reach that high plain by letting go of all the fears that the world thrusts our way. The “letting go” attitude gives each of us the permission to thrive in any circumstance.

Remember, change is not your enemy.

Many people would rather fail than change. Such stubborn behavior robs us of the joy that could come our way. No matter how much we hold on, sometimes we must change. In the midst of the turmoil of change is the opportunity to bloom where we have been planted even when the choice was not ours. Change is a part of life, and we would profit by remembering that simple fact.

Value the place that is given to you.

I once knew a man who would give the same greeting every time I saw him. When asked “How are you?” his consistent answer was, “ Living in the hope of a better day.” I was a very young pastor and I always wondered what was wrong with today? Benedict of Nursia, the founder of western monasticism said that stability was the key to living the monastic or Christian life. Learning to live in the stability of relationship involves the skill of rubbing off our own sharp edges. We cannot run away from ourselves or those that know us the best. I have been married for over forty years, and I know what I do wrong and so does my wife. We are challenged to bloom where we are planted because other paths are, all too often, very disappointing.

Prayer

Lord, help me to see myself well enough to acknowledge my weaknesses. Because of that, I can depend upon your strength to carry me through in spite of all adversity that may surround me. You give each of us the ability to make our own fertile ground.

Amen