We can't always choose the cards we have been dealt....but we can learn to play them. Kind of like "Bloom where you are planted"...( and I added "or not" to my title, after some deep consideration)
I have always liked this saying and truly believed it, until recently hearing and seeing a few peoples situations. I even have this on several signs in my yard and have offered this advise to others! For many, it probably is still great advice and words to live by, yet I think there are always a few exceptions, so I threw the "or not" in my title and will touch on it slightly.
If you're like me, you probably aren't where you want to be in life and may even still be thinking or saying "when I grow up... I want to be or do..." Yet, we keep doing what we do during the day and dream our dreams at night. After all, keeping our dreams alive is what uplifts the human spirit. Yes, I am that dream-weaver....(I believe you can get me through the night, dream-weaver I believe we can reach the morning light) I was going to add a quick side note in here about dreams or bucket lists and a few of mine, but heck, it turned into a complete blog in itself, guess that will be my next blog, since I have or had so many dreams....some I reached, some I chose to give up on and still some I continue to dream about!
I will get back to" bloom where you are planted or not"... I do believe every step in life prepares us for the next one. No matter where we are in life we have been provided vital life lessons for what's next. Our life is like a book, and we don't need to be judged by the cover. Every chapter builds a foundation to the next chapter. Some chapters are better than others, some are longer, some are shorter, some more exciting and adventures and some are scary and not so good. It's easier said than done to bloom where you are planted, but to truly blossom we have to stop complaining. (I love that challenge many have taken where you don't complain for 24 hours, not once! try it, not so easy). Maya Angelou was famous for many things she said one being "if you don't like something, change it. If you cant change it, change your attitude about it." Of coarse there are situations that cannot be changed, but...we must learn to rise above it. Whatever we focus on (positive or negative) whichever one we choose it has a tendency to expand, so yes, we need to breathe in and use our energy towards positive things in life.
Bloom where you are planted....we can look for ways to be a blessing to somebody. Research even shows that helping others make us happier! Sounds like a win-win situation to me....not only increasing our own happiness and blooming, we have a positive effect on others! I once had this book (I'm sure I still have it, just haven't seen it in a few years) called Bloom where you are planted. It's a daily devotional for women who are stepping out in faith and answering God's calling in unique ways. Sometimes, blooming where you are planted is one of the most difficult and challenging things to do.
Most people literally think of the analogy of a flower blooming....it doesn't happen overnight. It's a process. It usually takes some nurturing from both Mother Nature and the gardener...water, sunlight and shade. The result is a colorful bloom that adds beauty to our surroundings and often brings smiles to our faces. This same analogy can be used for us. We can be compared to the flower. We need to be nurtured, we need more rest, work less, eat healthier, get more active. When we take care of ourselves we will bloom also! We will feel stronger, happier, determined and beautiful!
Ok, while in the middle of writing this blog I had to take a break and go to a dental appointment. While I was waiting in the reception area, I picked up a book and the first page I turned to (page 143)...coincidence....I think not! A two page testimonial written by a local woman from a local church here in town. It was title "My garden". This lady was describing a plant that she had planted in her yard. It was a flowering plant and she enjoyed looking at it. Like I had just talked about and compared a blooming plant to a blooming heart/life, this lady was doing the same thing. This beautiful plant that she planted in her yard was starting to take over and there were sprigs of new life sprouting up all over her yard, even in places she didn't want it to grow. It was choking out everything else that was beautiful. (reminds me of my morning glory...even though it brings so much glory in the morning, it takes take over!) She had to remove the new growth and the roots. The root system has become so strong, it was an everyday battle to keep it from taking over her yard again. This lady also compared this to a planting in her heart. You see, she had been going through a difficult and painful time which she realized she was planting or experiencing a lot of bitterness and resentment. She went on to say just like the flower that was sprouting up everywhere so was the bitterness and resentment in areas of her life. When she finally realized that this bitterness was actually sin in her life, she went to God and asked for forgiveness. Just like the flowers root system, sin is an everyday battle, we don't want it to take away from our blooming. Sometimes we have to do some uprooting in our lives and heart so we can bloom to our fullest!
Ok, so here is the other part or the flip side of the coin....the title of my blog "bloom where you are planted, OR NOT"... most of us have given this advise or even received this advise, (the bloom where you are planted part!) Sounds like good advise, but is it just surface advise and could it be dangerous advise?
Let's think about it....we wouldn't plant a seed in a toxic waste dump. Sure you could dig a perfect hole, water it, give it sunlight and air, but no amount of tending that seed would produce fruit, and even if it did....would you want to eat it? A seed must be placed in fertile healthy soil or it will not be all it was meant to be. Not only is it true in nature, but it's true with you and me. If we are in a toxic environment, surrounded by people (or a person) places and things that poison us, think about it, would we grow and flourish or bloom? Would we produce something good for the world around us? Or would we be wasting our time, our talents and our gifts God has entrusted us with. We have all been there, thinking we are not enough, didn't have an important job, didn't make enough money, not loved by someone, we have been made to feel small and inadequate. There is a lot of world out there, filled with lots of people and lots of opportunity. We need to make it our mission to bloom on fertile ground, not toxic ground....and don't put our roots down until we find it. (or make the mistake like I did and plant some of my tomatoe plants to early and then sure enough we have another freeze, kind of a set-up, actually I had spring fever!)
Right, kind of controversial, since "bloom where you are planted" is popular advise given by many friends, family and leaders that encourage mankind and teach us not to just jump ship everytime the going gets tough. I agree- I get it, we do need to work through difficult times. At the same time, we DO need to seek joy and contentment. We DO need to get honest about our abilities and know how to put them to good use.
So, maybe what we should do is "don't seek to bloom where we are planted but plant ourselves where we can bloom." This is our life and we can make a different choice. I love the verse in the Bible from Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.
All Because of His Amazing Grace.......
Most people literally think of the analogy of a flower blooming....it doesn't happen overnight. It's a process. It usually takes some nurturing from both Mother Nature and the gardener...water, sunlight and shade. The result is a colorful bloom that adds beauty to our surroundings and often brings smiles to our faces. This same analogy can be used for us. We can be compared to the flower. We need to be nurtured, we need more rest, work less, eat healthier, get more active. When we take care of ourselves we will bloom also! We will feel stronger, happier, determined and beautiful!
Ok, while in the middle of writing this blog I had to take a break and go to a dental appointment. While I was waiting in the reception area, I picked up a book and the first page I turned to (page 143)...coincidence....I think not! A two page testimonial written by a local woman from a local church here in town. It was title "My garden". This lady was describing a plant that she had planted in her yard. It was a flowering plant and she enjoyed looking at it. Like I had just talked about and compared a blooming plant to a blooming heart/life, this lady was doing the same thing. This beautiful plant that she planted in her yard was starting to take over and there were sprigs of new life sprouting up all over her yard, even in places she didn't want it to grow. It was choking out everything else that was beautiful. (reminds me of my morning glory...even though it brings so much glory in the morning, it takes take over!) She had to remove the new growth and the roots. The root system has become so strong, it was an everyday battle to keep it from taking over her yard again. This lady also compared this to a planting in her heart. You see, she had been going through a difficult and painful time which she realized she was planting or experiencing a lot of bitterness and resentment. She went on to say just like the flower that was sprouting up everywhere so was the bitterness and resentment in areas of her life. When she finally realized that this bitterness was actually sin in her life, she went to God and asked for forgiveness. Just like the flowers root system, sin is an everyday battle, we don't want it to take away from our blooming. Sometimes we have to do some uprooting in our lives and heart so we can bloom to our fullest!
Ok, so here is the other part or the flip side of the coin....the title of my blog "bloom where you are planted, OR NOT"... most of us have given this advise or even received this advise, (the bloom where you are planted part!) Sounds like good advise, but is it just surface advise and could it be dangerous advise?
Let's think about it....we wouldn't plant a seed in a toxic waste dump. Sure you could dig a perfect hole, water it, give it sunlight and air, but no amount of tending that seed would produce fruit, and even if it did....would you want to eat it? A seed must be placed in fertile healthy soil or it will not be all it was meant to be. Not only is it true in nature, but it's true with you and me. If we are in a toxic environment, surrounded by people (or a person) places and things that poison us, think about it, would we grow and flourish or bloom? Would we produce something good for the world around us? Or would we be wasting our time, our talents and our gifts God has entrusted us with. We have all been there, thinking we are not enough, didn't have an important job, didn't make enough money, not loved by someone, we have been made to feel small and inadequate. There is a lot of world out there, filled with lots of people and lots of opportunity. We need to make it our mission to bloom on fertile ground, not toxic ground....and don't put our roots down until we find it. (or make the mistake like I did and plant some of my tomatoe plants to early and then sure enough we have another freeze, kind of a set-up, actually I had spring fever!)
Right, kind of controversial, since "bloom where you are planted" is popular advise given by many friends, family and leaders that encourage mankind and teach us not to just jump ship everytime the going gets tough. I agree- I get it, we do need to work through difficult times. At the same time, we DO need to seek joy and contentment. We DO need to get honest about our abilities and know how to put them to good use.
So, maybe what we should do is "don't seek to bloom where we are planted but plant ourselves where we can bloom." This is our life and we can make a different choice. I love the verse in the Bible from Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.
All Because of His Amazing Grace.......
