Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 3:00 — 4.1MB)
I wonder if you know where this is found in the Bible: Bloom where you are planted. Is it in the Psalms, or maybe Jesus said it? Do you know? Well, the truth is, you won’t find that exact phrase in the Bible, but you will find the principle it teaches very clearly given in Scripture.
When the Apostle Paul said we should learn to be content no matter what our circumstances, he was saying “Bloom where you are planted.” When Jesus said not to worry about tomorrow because tomorrow would take care of itself, he was saying “Bloom where you are planted.” In writing to the Corinthian Christians, Paul said, “Nevertheless, 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). He was admonishing those new believers to bloom where they were planted.
Not long ago I had an opportunity to talk to a senior citizen, Betty, who is blooming where she is planted. Betty is a widow and a mom of three grown children and lots of grandchildren. She is a Jesus-lover from way back, and at this stage in her life, she is finding creative ways to reach out to others with the love of Jesus.
Betty’s husband died after a very long illness where she was his main caregiver. So she spent many years simply taking care of his needs. Now that she lives alone and is still driving, she has found a way to continue to share the love of Jesus with others. She goes to the grocery store every day. She said, “That way I don’t have heavy bags to carry if I just get a few things each day. And then, I just go up and down the aisles of the store, to see who God puts in my path that day.”
Betty uses her daily trips to the grocery store as a way to meet people, to offer encouragement, to pray for people, and to let them know that Jesus loves them. Almost every day she has an opportunity to speak to someone—mostly strangers—and simply offer a moment of caring and concern. She has story after story of the people she has met in this way, and how blessed she is to have this ministry.
Betty didn’t complain about the effects of growing older, or the fact that she was alone now, or the aches and pains that occur as you age. She is just blooming where she is, bringing joy and a ray of hope to many people who just happen to shop for groceries where she does.