Bloom Where You’re Planted

Musings from the farm…

The other day, as I walked out to the barn to do animal chores, I noticed this beautiful little calendula flower sticking up out of the mud.  It had gotten covered up two months ago in the process of ditch digging for a building project that is not yet completed.  This little flower really surprised me since it is now the end of January and we have had snow and temperatures as low as 4 degrees Fahrenheit!  Most of it’s “friends” have gone to seed and died off to give way to spring seedlings.

Seeing this flower got me to thinking about how often life can feel like we’ve just been covered over with dirt.  Whether it’s unexpected sickness in our family, pressures at work and home, political negativity all around us or just a cloudy day that follows 30 other cloudy days.  We often feel covered over and weighed down.

It’s a well known fact that life isn’t always easy.  In fact, we don’t even expect it to be easy which is why we have so many tools and businesses to help us get through the hard places in life.  We have umbrellas, tire chains, tow trucks, hospitals, countless self help books and websites etc. all designed to help us react to or deal with difficulties/dirt.

Scripture even admonishes us of the troubles of life and what to do about them in John 16:33 where Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Also in Psalms 50:15, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

As I look at this brave little flower every day, it’s bright color in the midst of winter browns and the dirt brings me joy.  I hope that we too will bloom where we’re planted and bring a little beauty and joy into the weighed down lives of those we come in contact with every day.