I do not have a green thumb. I have a black thumb - a really, really black thumb. I have tried multiple times in my life to have a house plant of some kind and well.... I kill them. Occasionally, I have had sweet kiddos and parents (I'm a teacher, if you didn't already know) bring me a plant or flower pot as a gift and although I never showed this, I would always look at whatever delightful garden variety had been bestowed upon me and inwardly cringe at its most certain doom.
My attempts to have a simple flower box or front yard garden, no matter how simple, have always met with the same results. No matter the methods I try, the end result is always the same - yucky brown plants that have to be pulled up long before their time. I have since left the gardening endeavors to my sweet hubby. :) I think much of the reason for my issues are "transplanting". You know, when you take the plant / flower out of it's little box and put it into your garden and/or larger pot. I never seem to make that leap successfully. Oh, who am I kidding? They never even make it out of the pot before they die on me. Sigh.
Now, here's a funny question... Have you ever considered yourself to be a flowering tree? I do. A flowering tree that has been transplanted so many times, I cannot even count them anymore. My father was a traveling evangelist when I was a child and a bit of a nomad at heart, so our family found ourselves with "new digs" quite often, much to the consternation of my mother. This struggle (and many others) led to a divorce in the early 90's and I was left with two "transplants" across the country within a year of each other that I thought would kill any joy I had left in my "roots". In my 20's, I chose a military man to love forever and spent his last years of active duty military service following him and there have been many plantings along this road.
Often, I have questioned the Lord's planting and would have loved to return to the previous "flower bed" He put me in. Thankfully, I've also loved many of the beautiful beds of other flowering humans He's deposited me. No matter my response to the location, whether it be a hearty "Amen!" or an "Um, Lord, we need to have a chat.", His response to me has always been the same.... "Bloom, child. Bloom." No sitting on your duff and crying that you don't like your planting. No floating on cloud nine and enjoying the scenery or new eating establishments. Get busy with the blooming of your flowers.
Now, blooming will look different on different people. For some, it's the establishment of relationships and friendships that benefit one another and glorify God, like a planting that will enrich the soil and bring new life into dingy gardens. For others, it's a service of the heart that will bless others, not unlike a small annual flower that makes such a difference in the beauty of a landscape. To yet others, blessing comes with a sure, steady familiarity with those around, much like a planting that endures for years developing a root system deep in the soil and returning good to the ground with the strength of it's growth. In my own way, I try to be a blessing wherever I go, helping and serving where there's a need and I love the way God allows me to occasionally see His hand crafting His landscape and using me as part of His annual color.
Whether your bloom is grand and can be seen by all or whether your bloom is a lovely backdrop for the vibrant plants in front, God is pleased when we bear the fruit and fulfill the purpose He's created for us. So, the next time you see a transplant in your future, just remember - bloom where you're planted.... And thankfully, God doesn't require a green thumb for use in His kingdom.
"He shall be like a tree planted by rivers of living water, that brings forth it's fruit in it's season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper." - Psalm 1:3
My attempts to have a simple flower box or front yard garden, no matter how simple, have always met with the same results. No matter the methods I try, the end result is always the same - yucky brown plants that have to be pulled up long before their time. I have since left the gardening endeavors to my sweet hubby. :) I think much of the reason for my issues are "transplanting". You know, when you take the plant / flower out of it's little box and put it into your garden and/or larger pot. I never seem to make that leap successfully. Oh, who am I kidding? They never even make it out of the pot before they die on me. Sigh.
Now, here's a funny question... Have you ever considered yourself to be a flowering tree? I do. A flowering tree that has been transplanted so many times, I cannot even count them anymore. My father was a traveling evangelist when I was a child and a bit of a nomad at heart, so our family found ourselves with "new digs" quite often, much to the consternation of my mother. This struggle (and many others) led to a divorce in the early 90's and I was left with two "transplants" across the country within a year of each other that I thought would kill any joy I had left in my "roots". In my 20's, I chose a military man to love forever and spent his last years of active duty military service following him and there have been many plantings along this road.
Often, I have questioned the Lord's planting and would have loved to return to the previous "flower bed" He put me in. Thankfully, I've also loved many of the beautiful beds of other flowering humans He's deposited me. No matter my response to the location, whether it be a hearty "Amen!" or an "Um, Lord, we need to have a chat.", His response to me has always been the same.... "Bloom, child. Bloom." No sitting on your duff and crying that you don't like your planting. No floating on cloud nine and enjoying the scenery or new eating establishments. Get busy with the blooming of your flowers.
Now, blooming will look different on different people. For some, it's the establishment of relationships and friendships that benefit one another and glorify God, like a planting that will enrich the soil and bring new life into dingy gardens. For others, it's a service of the heart that will bless others, not unlike a small annual flower that makes such a difference in the beauty of a landscape. To yet others, blessing comes with a sure, steady familiarity with those around, much like a planting that endures for years developing a root system deep in the soil and returning good to the ground with the strength of it's growth. In my own way, I try to be a blessing wherever I go, helping and serving where there's a need and I love the way God allows me to occasionally see His hand crafting His landscape and using me as part of His annual color.
Whether your bloom is grand and can be seen by all or whether your bloom is a lovely backdrop for the vibrant plants in front, God is pleased when we bear the fruit and fulfill the purpose He's created for us. So, the next time you see a transplant in your future, just remember - bloom where you're planted.... And thankfully, God doesn't require a green thumb for use in His kingdom.
"He shall be like a tree planted by rivers of living water, that brings forth it's fruit in it's season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper." - Psalm 1:3