These flowers pictured below were growing in an area of our barns leftover from the farm. They were not growing in great soil - in fact, it was where dirt had washed up on old cement near the feeding trough and barns which held the cows after milking. I noticed them one day recently and it both shocked me and filled me with joy.
To see them blooming in such a "desolate" place was exciting. To know that they were still growing and blooming even in horrible conditions was an encouragement.
I knew I had to capture them. I knew I had to photograph the details of beauty even in an area that is less attractive than others I have photographed.
As I began photographing them the Lord began giving me the thoughts I am going to share. He began to show me as I saw up close what conditions these flowers were in that I can be just like these flowers.
I can bloom where I am planted.
So many times in our lives, and I can look back on MANY occasions in my own life, we want to have the "perfect soil", the "perfect circumstances" and everything to be just as WE want it with cushions, luxury, and beauty.
We want the carefully nurtured soil of life.
We want the gently planted areas with plenty of nutrients and an area that gets the best balance of sun, rain, and rich soil.
We like life to be predictable....OUR version of predictable.
Sometimes, though, God plants us in situations that are ugly.
They seem infertile.
They are not attractive.
They get too much sun.
They get too much rain.
They get too much darkness.
They get too much drought.
They can just be downright HARD.... like the hard soil from which these beautiful flowers were springing.
God's grace has placed us right where we need to be in our lives and wants us to BLOOM where we are planted.
Sometimes its that fertile and well-cared for soil.
But most of the time - it's that neglected soil.
The reason He places us there is to GROW us through the adversity. To realize that what WE see as infertile is exactly the ground where God's grace pours out on us so that we can bloom right where He has us.
The job that you hate and you struggle to complete the work days.
The class in school we hate.
The marriage that is falling apart.
The friendship that is struggling.
The health problem that consumes us.
The hardship of rearing children.
The dysfunction of a family relationship.
....and any other hard, infertile soil of LIFE in which you may find yourself.
We want to fight it. We want to say "REALLY, God?" After all I have tried to do for You and You want me HERE!?"
And He answers, "Yes."
Why?
He sees a pride issue in us.
He sees where we have gotten comfortable in our surroundings and we are not looking to HIM for growth, but the ease of our circumstances.
His grace is seeing the bigger picture of our lives.
His grace sees so much more that we could be or do, but because of our complacency we are not really blooming as much as we should in that fertile soil.
So He places us in that barrenness so that we will look to the LIGHT of the World - Jesus, seek the Living Water, and find nutrients that can only come from His Word so that we might grow and BLOOM where we are planted.
I can look back on life and see times He has taken me to the infertile soil and planted me. It was not fun. I became angry at the situation in which He placed me and fought Him (or the circumstance that surrounded being there) because I was convinced it was wrong that I was there!! HOWEVER.... it forced me to see I could not grow on my own - I was dependent on HIM to grow and not because of my "perfect" surroundings.
I grew more in those infertile soil areas and they became a cherished time for me. I saw blossoms come forth from my Christian Walk that were never there before in the perfect surroundings.
When He brought me out of the infertile soil and I began to be in the "perfect" soil again, I found that I missed the hard ground. I missed the struggle - because I began to realize that I grew the MOST when I had to depend on HIS Light, HIS Water, His Nutrients - His Word.
I actually MISSED the hard ground.
I realized that because of the Lord planting me where I did not want to be, He actually allowed me to bloom so much more for Him.
SO... the next time you are struggling with a hard situation.
The next time you want to ask God "Why am I planted HERE?"
Just remember these flowers on the hard soil. They are blooming even in the midst of ugliness and hardness.
They are blooming where they are planted by God. He makes no mistakes and there is always a purpose in His plantings.
He is the Master Gardener.
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