Bloom Where You're Planted?

Psalm 92:12-15
The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
    they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
planted in the house of the Lord,
    they will flourish in the courts of our God.
They will still bear fruit in old age,
    they will stay fresh and green,
proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;
    he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.”

The last few years I’ve experimented to find out what grows best in the small flower bed beside my house. The plot gets the morning sun and the afternoon shade. Last year I planted mostly full sun flowers. Some of them thrived and others got leggy and languished on the sidewalk. This year I chose shade plants. Again, some flourished but a few seem stunted. Along with the new growth, I moved the lavender to a new spot and now I have a full blooming herb.

In the seventies, I often read the phrase “Bloom where you’re planted.” It used to bother me because, as a follower of Christ, I didn’t understand what it meant. Did it mean I should stay in one spot and never move? As a seasoned adult (a nice way of saying I’m over fifty) I’ve learned that for me, as one who loves God and seeks his purpose, if I stay firmly planted in my Savior’s love, I’ll bloom. Some of the plants I placed in my garden struggled to grow. They needed water or pruning. As I bloom and grow, I struggle, but continue to flourish in his kingdom. I love that the Psalmist mentions that those who love God continue to “bear fruit in old age.” I’d hate to quit now J. Praise God for his spiritual nourishment.