Bloom where you are planted

Not all plants can grow in flourish in poor soil. It normally helps if you add nutrients to the soil, water and lot’s of TLC. I think the same can go for people.

Sometimes God places us in a not so comfortable situation. We can either dwell on the negative and be miserable or “Bloom where we are planted”. Another words, “make the best of a bad situation”. Did you know that the Bible tells us 365 times to “fear not”? That’s one for every day of the year to remind us to trust in him. People have asked me how I stay so positive and I guess you can say that I’ve received a lot of rich soil around my roots as I grew up and as adult that I know that God is always with me no matter what. In times when I should have been bawling my eyes out, I remember feeling guilty because I wasn’t. You can either laugh or cry. I chose joy and making other’s feel joy.

I’ve listened to many Pastor’s in person and on YouTube and one story that stuck with me was Pastor Rick Warren and his Wife discussing the death of their son. For years that tried everything in their power to save him from himself. Unfortunately, he ended up taking his own life. If you haven’t watched it, I strongly suggest it. “How to get through what you’re going through”. I mean wow!! To briefly summarize deep pain can either make you bitter or make you better. He chose to use his pain to help other’s enduring the same loss. This doesn’t take that pain away, but it becomes part of your story. A way for you to grow and learn from it.

As a Mother, I help my children with their school work, life problems and being there in general to help shape them into better people. As their Mother, it’s my responsibility to show them how important it is to accept God’s grace and mercy as often as we can. I’m not perfect. I’ve made mistakes I regret. It’s how you move on from those mistakes that makes a teachable moment. I could be bitter but instead I became better. It touched me so deeply when my oldest son said to me, “Mom, there’s a lot of people who in your situation would have just given up, but you didn’t! You did what you had to do by learning and teaching yourself new skills to find a new job and work so hard to make sure we have what’s needed”. He said a lot of people just don’t take that initiative.

I think the flip side of all of this is the Bible verse: Galatians 6:7 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” The basic definition is, “The personal consequences of one’s actions are in proportion to the good or bad intentions towards others.

So, I leave you with this simple thought, “Be kinder that necessary as you never know what battle another person may be fighting”. Be kind to one other, love one another as Christ loves us.

Father, thank you for a wonderful Mother’s Day and a blessed day with family and friends. Thank you for reminding us what is important in life and to be thankful for what we have. Thankful for those we have in our life. I pray that if someone reading this has a problem, concern or going through something that you please wrap your arms around them. Please give them strength to get through what they are going through. Amen.