Bloom Where You’re Planted
“Each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them.” 1 Corinthians 7:17
One of my favorite books as a little girl was Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. The story follows the adventurous life of a young woman, Alice Rumphius, who sets out to attain the goals she made as a child. In her old age she realizes the only thing yet to do on her list is something to make the world more beautiful. Exhausted from many years of traveling the world, Alice decides to go about sowing lupine flower seeds all around her quaint little town. Over time, the town is covered in purple and rose-colored lupines and dear old Miss Rumphius sits back to enjoy the beauty she’s brought to her little corner of the world. It’s a sweet story that reminds us we don’t need to go far to make a difference, sometimes no further than our own neighborhood.
You’ve likely heard, “Bloom where you’re planted,” a phrase attributed to Saint Francis de Sales. Miss Rumphius did this quite literally, but before she filled her pockets with seeds and scattered them around her town, she began by planting lupines in her own backyard. It wasn’t until the following spring she realized some of the seeds she’d sown had been carried by the wind and landed in random places throughout her village. Barbara Brown Taylor puts it this way: “It is not necessary to take on the whole world at first. Just take the three square foot of earth on which you are sitting, paying close attention to everything that lives within that small estate.”
In His final moments on Earth Jesus commissioned His followers to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). The weight of the task likely felt heavy on the disciples’ shoulders, and it can for us too. When we think of how many tribes, tongues, and nations there are in the world, all in desperate need of the gospel message, it can feel overwhelming. How can we possibly contribute to the expansion of God’s kingdom when we feel so inadequate, so limited, so average?
We can begin by sharing the good news of Jesus with the people under our own roof, and every friend or family member who crosses the threshold of our home. We can invite the neighbor across the street to church, and visit with the widow down the road. We can serve sacrificially, opening our home to those less fortunate and offering them a hot meal with a heaping side of compassion. We can pray for the teachers, police officers and government officials in our community. We can volunteer our time and associate with those Jesus would associate with. We can sow seeds of joy, mercy, kindness, and forgiveness and watch them bloom like flowers in the springtime. We can trust that some of those seeds will be carried and spread by those we’ve touched and continue to reach the corners of the world far beyond our own. This is how the gospel message is spread, from intentionally sown seeds in our own backyard.
1 Corinthians 7:17 tells us to live as believers in whatever situation the Lord has assigned us. Wherever our feet are planted today is where the Lord wants us to bloom. So root down, sow the seeds, and watch where the wind carries them. We can make the kingdom of heaven more beautiful.
Study & Reflection: Consider where the Lord has your feet planted today. Look around you and pay close attention to the unreached souls that reside in your corner of the world. What can you do to purposefully share the gospel message with them? Write down a list of ideas, ways you can serve, love and pray for the people God has placed around you.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, keep me from feeling restless or discontent in the place You’ve planted me. I trust You’ve placed me here for Your kingdom work and I trust You will carry the seeds I sow to the corners of the earth. Open my eyes to opportunities to share the good news of Your love and forgiveness. Give me courage and boldness to tell others about You. I trust You’ve placed me here for Your kingdom work and I trust You will carry the seeds I sow to the corners of the earth. Help me make the world a more beautiful place. Amen.