Do you remember a long time ago when there was a poster that read: “Bloom Where You Are Planted”? I think I understood it then but have a different understanding of it today. Recently, I received this thought from a group called The Jesuspirit Team: “I should be further along by now.” Do you ever feel this way ‘Where is my life going? Am I stuck?’ I must confess that I’ve been there.
God’s timing is much better than mine because, as I read further in the piece, I realized I am not stuck but planted. What does that mean? If we look at Jeremiah 17:7-8, we gain a better understanding of what it means to be planted. “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. There is no need to panic or measure my spiritual growth against another ‘tree’. That is because we trust in the Lord, and our roots are running deep. We are connected to the source of all life!
We are where we are because it is part of God’s plan. Again, we look at Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” God has planted us right where we need to be in this time in this season, constantly watering us so our roots can grow deep. Perhaps we can’t see or don’t understand why we are where we are at this moment, but God has a plan, and God looks to the depth of our roots, not at the surface. We need to stop measuring our growth by what is visible. God knows the depth of our hearts and roots. We may be in a growing, not a weak state; be patient.
Instead of asking why we are still at this stage at this time of our life, why not ask God what God may be growing in you as you sink your roots deeper into the earth, feeding from the river of life? If you take the time to reflect on other times in your life, you can see the growth times and the precious fruit it bore, so why not now? Together, let us be patient and grow in the trust of God’s plans for us. We aren’t stuck. We are planted exactly where we are supposed to be, ‘and our fruit is coming.’
Till next week,
Planted and growing alongside you,
Sister Theresita Donach, CSFN
