Bloom Where You Are Planted

“Bloom where you are planted” 
A phrase that can be found on inspirational desk decor at Tj Maxx,
on canvases, mugs, and basically anything else, well, ever.

But has anyone ever taken the time to think about what that phrase means? I have a lot lately. And truth be told, at the beginning, I hated it. I’m no plant genius, trust me- you can ask my husband and he will tell you; I can keep a plant alive for a little while, but then I either end up over or under watering it and then it meets the same fate as those who have come before.

However, from some prior knowledge and research, I do know that in order to bloom, and bloom well, some plants have to be transported into different soil. Get that? Some plants, no matter how hard they try, cannot bloom if they are in the wrong soil, wrong climate, or wrong conditions.

That sort of takes away the magic of “bloom where you are planted” right?

Lately I feel like I am that flower.
The one that is trying its hardest to bloom where it is planted, but it just can’t. I’ve been trying to bloom, believe me, I have.

But in this season, there have been days where it seems like there’s just too much water to consider blooming well. And I mean that in a very literal sense for some of those days. I’ve withdrawn a little while from writing because this season has been very painful and I haven’t really wanted to talk about it more than I had to because it led me to a place where things got really murky.

Anyway, too much water.

In February, my husband and I had our home flood.
700 gallons of dirty, destructive water.
And as much as I tried, it was very difficult for me to bloom while wading through my belongings as they prepared to be disposed of. There was no fixing this, we had no option but to throw most everything away and move.

In this season, there have been days where I feel too uprooted to possibly bloom. I mean, you need good soil to bloom, right? Since losing our home, we have temporarily lived in 3 homes. 3 homes in the last 3 months. And while I could never express how grateful I am for those generous hearts for allowing us to do so (PLEASE KNOW THAT!) it’s sometimes hard to bloom where you are planted when you’re, well, not feeling very planted at all.

In this season, there have also been days where it seems as if there’s not enough water to bloom well. Or too much harsh sunlight, not enough yummy sunlight. I am an Enneagram 2, otherwise known as the helper.  My top traits include the desire to be a good hostess. The drive to serve. When these traits are intact, I bloom the brightest and most beautifully. When they are not, it is difficult for me to remain healthy. On the days when I want to be a hostess and I am reminded that I don’t have a permanent home to host in, it feels like I am in the brightest direct sunlight with no hope of water any time soon. On the days where I want to serve and just don’t know how, it feels like there’s not enough sunlight to perk me up.

So how in the world could I possibly bloom where I am planted?
There’s hardly anything constant about this season of life I’m in.
How could God possibly expect me to bloom? That. Isn’t. Fair.

Which is that time where He speaks so gently to me and stills my heart. He reminds me that despite all of this, despite all of my complaints that upon looking, there are still pieces of my life where I remain firmly, securely, and faithfully planted. Those places are in my relationship with Christ, and in turn, my marriage. No matter how much water, sunlight, uprooting or anything else bears down on me, in other aspects of my life, I can remain planted and I can bloom because of my Savior and my beloved.

Which sounds a little strange. Trust me.
But! Check this out:

“Have your roots planted deep in Christ. Grow in Him. Get your strength from Him. Let Him make you strong in the faith as you have been taught. Your life should be full of thanks to Him.”

Colossians 2:7-9

Wow.

But it’s true. My husband and I both have our roots planted deep in Christ. As we grow in Him, we grow closer together.

Despite physical cases of being uprooted, oversaturated, and starved for the things that make life feel stable, comfortable, and normal; the roots we’ve grown in Christ run deeper than could ever be uprooted. In these roots, we can bloom where we are planted, always.

This does not mean some seasons won’t have more visible bold, beautiful blooms than others. It doesn’t mean that there won’t be seasons where I have to reach a littler further to see the sun. There will always be mountains and valleys. It just means that no matter what, our roots are deep in a love that is more sweet than anything else imaginable.

So wherever you are today, whether you are in a season of want or a season of plenty-whether you have all your plans set or you don’t know what the next step looks like,
be sure to have your roots planted deep in Christ. This world can take away a whole lot of things, but it cannot take away the faith that comes from deep, strong roots.

And so, with a change of perspective, I no longer hate that phrase.
I will bloom where I am planted;
because I am planted – deeply, strongly, firmly – in Christ.