I do not have a green thumb. I’ve tried many a time to have a house plant, but I’ve killed them all. Occasionally, I would have a kind hearted parent bring me a plant or bush of some kind as a gift when I was a teacher and I’d look at the beautiful garden variety that was given with love and inwardly cringe at its most certain doom. Sigh. My many attempts to have a flower garden in the front of my home have met with the same results. No matter the methods I might try, the end is always the same - yucky brown plants or flowers that have to be pulled up before their time. I have since left the gardening endeavors to my sweet husband. :) Anyone who drives by our yard can see his efforts are always rewarded with a plush green lawn, beautiful shrubbery and occasionally, the pretty flowering creation of some kind – not too much, you understand as planting small little flowers seems to interfere with his manhood, I’m not sure why.
I consider myself a flowering tree. :) I love the promise of Psalms to be planted and to bear fruit according to the Lord’s will. During my years on this earth, the Lord has seen fit to transplant me to many a location on His good green earth.
My daddy was a traveling evangelist for quite a few years and was a bit of a nomad at heart and so our family often found ourselves with “new digs” quite often. When my parents divorced, I found myself with two back to back transplants I thought at times would kill off any root of joy I had developed. In my early 20’s, I chose a military man to love forever and spent his last few years of active duty service with him and as you might imagine, there have been many plantings along that way.
Often I questioned the Lord’s planting and dearly longed to go back to the wonderful flower bed I had been in previously. Thankfully, I’ve also loved many of the beds of other beautiful little trees and plants He’s dropped me into. Whether I’ve decided it was good or bad, respectfully questioned His decision or given it my heartiest “Amen!”, His response to me has always been consistent, “Bloom, baby, bloom.”
Blooming is different things to different people. To some, it’s the establishment of friendships and relationships that benefit one another and glorify God, a planting that enriches the soil and brings new life. To some, it’s the service of the heart that blesses others in small ways; a small annual flower can make such a difference in the landscape. To yet others, blessing comes with a sure, steady familiarity with those around - a planting that endures for years, developing a root system deep in the soil and returning good to the ground with the strength of its growth. In my own way, I try ;) to be a blessing wherever I go, helping and serving where there’s a need and I love the way God allows me to occasionally see His hand crafting His landscape and using me as part of His annual color.
Whether your bloom is grand and can be seen by all, or whether your bloom is a lovely backdrop for the vibrant plants in front, God is pleased when we bear the fruit and fulfill the purpose He’s created us for. So, the next time you see a transplant in your future, just remember - bloom where you’re planted.... and thankfully, God doesn’t require a green thumb for use in His kingdom, Praise His NAME!!
“He shall be like a tree planted by rivers of living water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.”- Psalm 1:3
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