"Bloom Where You Are Planted"

Philippians 4: 6) Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

“Do not be anxious about anything”.  At first glance, that’s almost laughable.  It would seem impossible to be able to accomplish this. The cares and concerns of this world seem so good at pressing in and consuming our thoughts before we even know what has happened.  One thing I have learned is that regardless of my good intentions, not being anxious, is not something I can just choose to do.  Without the rest of this verse, I’m sure it is not possible at all. The scripture admonishes us to turn “everything” over to God.  We’ve all heard the “Let Go, Let God” phrase. I suppose it summarizes this verse pretty well. However, there are a few other words in this verse that may be easier ignored, than obeyed.

The admonition is to present everything “with thanksgiving” when we bring them to God.  Really?  I am supposed to be thankful for the things in my life that bring me anxiety?  Again, the fleshly instinct is to laugh.  Okay God (muttered sarcastically), I am thankful that my daughter has been fighting brain cancer for the last 4-1/2 years. I am thankful that my husband has prostate cancer.  I am thankful that the day I got back to work after going with them both for treatment this summer, that my job of 14 years ended with a layoff. I am thankful that our house has not yet sold.  I am thankful the economy has taken a slump and jobs are hard to come by.  Etc. Etc.  Really? I am supposed to be thankful for all of that?  Is it not enough to just bring those things to God and trust Him to work it for our good? Be thankful?  As Lori would say, “It’s a puzzlement”. Why God?  Why must we be thankful?

I only know for myself, that being thankful at first, is really a gut level deliberate decision.  It is not based on a feeling of thankfulness, but a decision to do so strictly because God says I should.  Doing so is like taking another step toward God purely out of my desire to obey Him and desire to see what He is going to do in my circumstances.  Naturally, it would be easier to be thankful after I’ve seen how He worked it out.  But, that is not what this verse tells us. It says that when we bring our petitions, we should bring them with thanksgiving.  God knows us so well.  He knows that it is only as we deliberately yield our wills, our dreams, our preconceived ideas and expectations to Him, can He then have the freedom to grow in us.  Rejoicing, praising, being thankful; I believe these are choices we make to consciously yield to God.  In doing so, we open ourselves up to the promise found in verse 7.

7) And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

These scriptures have been put to the test by our family, again and again over the last few years.  I can tell you that this promise is as true as any in the Bible.  There is nothing natural about being in the midst of a crisis and be able to be at peace.  It can’t be explained to anyone who has not experienced it. It does transcend all understanding.  But, I believe it is rooted in our experiences with trusting God and His  faithfulness as He has proven Himself trustworthy in our lives.  Not because He gives us what we want or fixes all our problems as we desire.  But because we have seen that He is there each day, walking us through and we see His hand working along the way.

He “will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  I’ve seen and felt the truth of this promise many times over. We know that “guard”ing is exactly what is needed when fear, anxiety, etc attack through a phone call, a doctor’s report, a middle of the night awakening, etc.  When I have not been able to do much more than just whisper “Jesus, help me.” He does. His guard goes up around my heart and mind and I am able to go back to sleep or settle down and move forward.  It is that guard that allows our hearts and minds to not be overwhelmed and to feel that peace that trancends all understanding.

Whatever our circumstances, God has promised He is there.  We can be thankful because He has not left us.  We cannot see our tomorrows, but we know that He can and if we yield ourselves to Him, He will accomplish what He has begun in us today…..and in our tomorrows.

Philippians 4:4_) Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  5_) Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

I can’t really say I’ve ever noticed Verse 5 before, but it really jumps off the page at me. My brother Phil is an amazing student of the Bible and probably knows the deeper meaning of why this scripture follows an admonition to “Rejoice in the Lord”.  But, for me, this is a reminder that as I focus on the Lord and rejoice in Him and His faithfulness to me, that it will show in my countenance.  How can I be focused on God and His goodness and yet my countenance and attitude be less than gentle?  I don’t think it’s possible.  Surely as I rejoice in the God of my faith, His provision for me and mine, the many ways He finds to show me His love,  and so on, my spirit changes.  There is no room for the self awareness that reveals itself through anger, frustration, self pity, etc. When my heart and mind are on Him an amazing thing can happen, if I “let” it.  I can choose to then “let” God’s nature shine through me, as a gentleness that is evident to all.  As I yield to this transformation, the promise is that  “The Lord is near”.  It’s a simple formula, but it has the power to turn my day and my spirit around to bring the Lord near, not only to me, but to those around me.  Wow..no wonder the previous scripture says we should rejoice in the Lord “always. And again I say rejoice”.  In other words..we need to get that.  There is power in rejoicing and it impacts us and those around us every single day.

Planting bulbs is something I do only because I like the end result. It doesn’t take long before the fruits of my efforts spring up through the dirt and I can see success.  Isn’t it just like us to go for the quick and easy?  I’m not sure I’d bother, if I had to wait 3 months, 6 months, a year, etc before my bulbs popped up through the ground.  I am so glad that our Father is not as impatient with us.  God is not about “instant”.  Not that He never responds instantly.  Surely He does.  But, God is in it for the long haul with us.  He is more interested in eternal fruit, than our daily comfort.

In reading the box on one of my bulbs, I read that it requires them to go through cold temperatures before they will begin to grow for the season.  They recommended that I put them in the refrigerator for X days before planting them.  Left to me, I never would have figured that out. I would have just put them in the ground and hoped for the best.  They may have grown eventually, but would they have been as colorful and radiant?  Would they have created as many blooms or fruit, as if I had followed the manufacturer’s instructions?  Is it not true for me also?  If I am obedient to my “manufacturer” and follow His direction, can I expect that my life will be greatly enriched, more colorful and radiant, or that I would reproduce more fruit?  Whether I am talking about a major, life-changing decision, or simply an attitude I take and everything in between, the choice is mine on a daily basis.  Who am I listening to and obeying?  Do I take the time to read the manufacturer of my life’s instructions?  Do I heed His direction in all I do?  Do I yield to cold spells of my life and embrace them, because I know that God has purpose in it, even if I don’t understand it?  I thank God for His patience with me, as I continue to learn these abundant life lessons.

John 10:10
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

“Where” is an all encompassing word that represents our day-to-day life.  If I accept that a loving heavenly Father has planted me very specifically “where” I am, then it’s time to look around and see where that is.  That inventory may take a while.  “Where” represents many facets of our lives. It may start with a physical location, as in a city/state, but that is just the beginning. However, before we blow by that one.  The city and state we live in is a huge factor and shouldn’t be quickly dismissed.  A city or town represents an environment, employment opportunities, a cost of living index, medical resources, places of worship, etc. and probably most importantly the hand-picked lives of people we are to be involved with.

The environment we are exposed to while living there covers various quality of life issues.  We are creatures, or in my previous example, seeds that require certain elements to grow.  The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the amount of sunshine we get, etc. are all components of “where” God places us.  Our place of employment consumes at least 40 hours of each week of our life and generates possibly 100% of our income.  Certainly this is a big factor in our “planting” and how we will “grow”. It’s also in that city we will find the resources for any medical concerns or emergencies. It’s cost of living index will determine how much of our livelihood will be spent on day-to-day essentials.  It’s houses of worship will be the foundation for our spiritual food and communion with other believers.  And those godly and ungodly folks God has brought to that same town, to those same place of employment, church, places of business we frequent, etc. will each play a role in our life and therefore our growth as each day passes.  Hearing God on “where” we are to live out our lives, has to share the top of the list for our growth.

If we really believe that God has a plan for each one of us, then we have to consider that “where” we find ourselves today is totally by design.  As for my husband and I, we are in Texas…still.  I say “still” because we believe God is moving us back to Oregon.  But today, the house has not sold and thus we are still in Texas. More on that later.  As much as I squirm and may be frustrated by where I am today, I know that I am exactly where He wants me to be…for today.  Why?  Because apparently we are not done growing here yet.

Webster tells us that to be planted, means we are placed, so that we can grow.  Placed would mean a very intentional positioning, not merely a random scattering.  It would also mean that consideration would have been made to determine the correct placement to allow growth.  When I plant bulbs, I take the time to educate myself and make sure my feeble efforts to grow something can result in success.   I learn what that particular bulb needs to prosper.  Does it need the soil to be wet all the time, or do I need to let it become dry between waterings?  Does it like a sand and soil mix or does it need a more loamy-type soil base?  What about sun?  Does it need full sun, partial sun, or no direct sun?  I never know these answers.  I always have to read the manufacturer’s instructions to learn what this particular bulb or seed needs to thrive.  If I, a minimally interested gardener, would take the time to learn how best to plant my bulbs, wouldn’t our heavenly Father make sure He knew exactly what was needed in our lives for growth?

It’s a captivating thought, that my Father would bring all the powers of His domain and His intimate knowledge of me, to find just the right place to plant me, so that I can grow.  It’s humbling to admit that I have been guilty of complaining about that placement at times…many times.  I haven’t always seen my placement through His eyes, but through my own desire for something else. I pray today that God will forgive me and give me His eyes and His heart, so that I may grow as He plans for me, not as I plan for me.

Psalm 1:2-4 (New International Version)

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.