Inspire Blooming Where You're Planted

Last weekend, we planted flowers at our home. The flowers are beginning to bloom, blossom and grow where they're planted. Looking at the flowers, it reminds me that I'm blossoming in my own life. I'm 24 years old and I'm growing into the person I think God wants me to be. I'm blossoming and blooming where I'm planted in this life.

Our flower garden.

But I still have to tend to the weeds that try to bring me down. I still have to tend to the roots--water the flowers so I continue to grow. When a thunderstorm hits and shakes things up in my garden (a metaphor now), I have to take care of the flowers to make sure they don't forget where they're planted.

You see, life is all about planting a garden--a garden in which these fruits are grown: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Along the way, you have to fertilize your own soul. Looking at your personal garden of life, remember to focus on self-growth, nurturing, and feeding your soul to live a more abundant and fruitful life. What do you want to nourish, enrich, or improve?

(photo/dribble.com)

Your hopes, dreams, and goals are the seeds of your garden. Plant them in the rich soil of your mind. Make a list of those hopes, dreams, and goals. Then, chase them. Believe in them. Believe that those dreams can come true. Isn't that the whole point of having dreams? So they can come true?

As you tend to your garden, you might notice some weeds and thorny vines that cover certain areas of your life. They need to be cleared. Before we can live the abundant life we deserve, we need to do some serious weeding. What weeds do you need to clear out of your life?

But taking care of a garden requires a good set of tools. You need a sturdy shovel to get deep, ingrained roots out of your garden. Dig deeper into your soul and figure out what's important. A tiller will turn up the soil, letting you know about fresh ideas and dreams. A pruner trims away the excess drama in your life. It may cut away painful memories or distractions, but as we know, it needs to be done. A hoe digs up those pesky weeds that are too hard to pull up by your hand. It helps get rid of any self-doubt and criticism eating up your soul. Gloves protect yourself and the things that are important to you. Finally, a garden hose refreshes your spirit and encourages growth. Water your garden so you can grow into the person you want to be.

(photo/Country Living Magazine)

It can be difficult to plant a garden. It's difficult to determine where you need to grow. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, a section of our garden (or maybe all of it) fails to produce the desired results. Maybe there hasn't been enough sunshine. Maybe you have some unneeded pests. It's hard when you put in so much effort and you don't see the results you hoped for. As discouraging and frustrating as it is, remember it's always okay to replant, start over, and begin again.

Begin again. 

When we decide to lay the soil of our hard lives open to the rain of grace and let joy penetrate our
cracked and dry places, when we decide to let joy into our broken skin, life grows. Life grows when we finally decide to release ourselves from past troubles. When we decide to open ourselves up, like a tree with many branches, life blossoms and grows. When we plant seeds, wait and see what happens.

You have to start from somewhere. Start with one seed. Watch how it grows.

It'll be a beautiful garden.

Your garden.

-KJL-