10: Blooming

(Okie dokie then . . . 10 posts down, 90 to go!)

In a gift shop once I ran across a greeting card that brightly proclaimed, "Bloom where you're planted!"

I bought it and have had it posted in several places over the years - in a home office, by my desk during my teaching days, in a collage at home. There's just something about that phrase that not only resonates with me but seems to be something I need to remind myself of over and over.

Spring is among us again and God's paintbrush has been dotting the landscapes with technicolor displays of his glory. Azaleas, pansies, daffodils and lilies line the roads pronouncing the season of splendor has arrived.

This particular beauty is a type of daylily . . .



Most people might refer to it as a "Tiger Lily" but others prefer the name "Ditch Lily".

Apparently this floral phenom has a great fondness for growing in . . . ditches.

Talk about blooming where you're planted!

So often I feel like I'm in a ditch.

I'd rather be in my ideal garden with nice cozy mulch to nourish my roots and a predictable sprinkler system to keep me thriving.

But, no. I'm in a ditch. Where I have to rely on the unpredictable rainshowers to bring relief and I might get trampled by a passing cyclist or even a stray dog.

But the Father knowingly allowed me to be here for reasons I may or may not ever get to know. What I do know is that He provides the rain, the sunshine that allows me to grow here. Who am I to refuse to bloom and display His glory?

People may expect lilies in a garden, but not in a ditch.

Bloom where you're planted . . . even in a ditch.