LOVE WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED
“I, the LORD, am its keeper; I water it every moment, Lest anyone damage it, I guard it night and day. I have no wrath. Should someone give Me briars and thorns in battle, Then I would step on them, I would burn them completely. Or let him rely on My protection, Let him make peace with Me, Let him make peace with Me.” In the days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will blossom and sprout; And they will fill the whole world with fruit.” ~~~~ Isaiah 27: 3-6 (NASB)
I was in our backyard today…..not doing anything spiritual……just taking out the trash. We have been gone for a few days, while my husband was in the hospital, and our dog, Phideaux (pronounced Fido), stayed alone in the backyard, for the first time ever. She did well, and didn’t really tear or dig anything up, but today, I noticed she had overturned a potted plant (probably accidentally, while she was busy doing whatever it is that dogs do). This flowering plant is a Porta Laca. It was on it’s way out, due to it being the end of the summer season. But as you see from the picture, most of it was dying, and it was out of it’s pot, but there was one orange flower just blooming in the center of the dirt heap. God brought to my mind, “Bloom where you are planted”. Now, that little plant, did not choose where it was…..and it definitely was outside of it’s “comfort zone” and not where most flowers go to “bloom”, but it was blooming all the same.
I was reminded of the season that my husband and I are going through right now…….during his healing……..out of our “comfort zone”, and experiencing a new and unknown place for us in life. Just as in Isaiah 27, we need to “make peace” with the place (or season) in life that the Lord has us in right now. It is so easy to do one of several things like, (1) gripe, grumble and complain about our circumstances, or (2) gloss over the place you are and just look forward to the days to come, but also forgetting to enjoy the “now moments” or (3) look for the lessons and hidden “jewels” the Lord has for us in the present and the “God-moments” and even the ministry moments for us to RECEIVE and also to share with others. Wow, I need to be better at doing the latter one. Thank You, Lord, for this revelation. I want to bloom where I am planted…..where YOU have planted me.
Another revelation that the LORD is teaching me during this season is about His incredible compassion for people. Matthew 9:36-38 (NASB) says, “And seeing the multitudes He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” I want to be His compassionate worker. I want to be better at learning to “Love where I am planted.” We look around the South Plains right now, and we are beginning to see incredible, white cotton fields that are beginning to be harvested. The fields are definitely white unto harvest! There are so many with so many needs……and I am one person……but as Mother Theresa once said, “Small things done with great love will change the world.” I love that saying! It is one of my favorites. We have had many, many, many friends and family speak words of encouragement and pray for us. What an incredible blessing. It has really ministered to us. If we could see (and I pray that we all come into a deeper revelation and experientially, too) in the “spirit” at what our kind words, a prayer for another, a gentle touch, a phone call, a meal to someone in need, a little card in the mail, a visit to someone’s home, etc., does for someone it would blow us away! It doesn’t necessarily have to be some big huge ministry thing, either. Lord, teach each of us to be more compassionate to, for and with others. This also doesn’t just mean with and for our Christian brothers and sisters. There is a lost and dying world out there, longing for the compassion of the Lord, whether they actually realize it or not. Lord, give me Your eyes and ears to see and hear those in need around me everyday. I want to see them with YOUR compassionate eyes and hear them with Your ears. Help me to be quick to respond with Your compassion and unfailing love. Thank You, Lord!!!
I pray God’s richest blessings upon each of you, your families, homes, churches and communities. And remember, “Small things done with great love will change the world!” ...so, LOVE WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED!!!
“I, the LORD, am its keeper; I water it every moment, Lest anyone damage it, I guard it night and day. I have no wrath. Should someone give Me briars and thorns in battle, Then I would step on them, I would burn them completely. Or let him rely on My protection, Let him make peace with Me, Let him make peace with Me.” In the days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will blossom and sprout; And they will fill the whole world with fruit.” ~~~~ Isaiah 27: 3-6 (NASB)
I was in our backyard today…..not doing anything spiritual……just taking out the trash. We have been gone for a few days, while my husband was in the hospital, and our dog, Phideaux (pronounced Fido), stayed alone in the backyard, for the first time ever. She did well, and didn’t really tear or dig anything up, but today, I noticed she had overturned a potted plant (probably accidentally, while she was busy doing whatever it is that dogs do). This flowering plant is a Porta Laca. It was on it’s way out, due to it being the end of the summer season. But as you see from the picture, most of it was dying, and it was out of it’s pot, but there was one orange flower just blooming in the center of the dirt heap. God brought to my mind, “Bloom where you are planted”. Now, that little plant, did not choose where it was…..and it definitely was outside of it’s “comfort zone” and not where most flowers go to “bloom”, but it was blooming all the same.
I was reminded of the season that my husband and I are going through right now…….during his healing……..out of our “comfort zone”, and experiencing a new and unknown place for us in life. Just as in Isaiah 27, we need to “make peace” with the place (or season) in life that the Lord has us in right now. It is so easy to do one of several things like, (1) gripe, grumble and complain about our circumstances, or (2) gloss over the place you are and just look forward to the days to come, but also forgetting to enjoy the “now moments” or (3) look for the lessons and hidden “jewels” the Lord has for us in the present and the “God-moments” and even the ministry moments for us to RECEIVE and also to share with others. Wow, I need to be better at doing the latter one. Thank You, Lord, for this revelation. I want to bloom where I am planted…..where YOU have planted me.
Another revelation that the LORD is teaching me during this season is about His incredible compassion for people. Matthew 9:36-38 (NASB) says, “And seeing the multitudes He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.” I want to be His compassionate worker. I want to be better at learning to “Love where I am planted.” We look around the South Plains right now, and we are beginning to see incredible, white cotton fields that are beginning to be harvested. The fields are definitely white unto harvest! There are so many with so many needs……and I am one person……but as Mother Theresa once said, “Small things done with great love will change the world.” I love that saying! It is one of my favorites. We have had many, many, many friends and family speak words of encouragement and pray for us. What an incredible blessing. It has really ministered to us. If we could see (and I pray that we all come into a deeper revelation and experientially, too) in the “spirit” at what our kind words, a prayer for another, a gentle touch, a phone call, a meal to someone in need, a little card in the mail, a visit to someone’s home, etc., does for someone it would blow us away! It doesn’t necessarily have to be some big huge ministry thing, either. Lord, teach each of us to be more compassionate to, for and with others. This also doesn’t just mean with and for our Christian brothers and sisters. There is a lost and dying world out there, longing for the compassion of the Lord, whether they actually realize it or not. Lord, give me Your eyes and ears to see and hear those in need around me everyday. I want to see them with YOUR compassionate eyes and hear them with Your ears. Help me to be quick to respond with Your compassion and unfailing love. Thank You, Lord!!!
I pray God’s richest blessings upon each of you, your families, homes, churches and communities. And remember, “Small things done with great love will change the world!” ...so, LOVE WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED!!!
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