M: Making Stuff Grow
Today I planted a container garden out on my apartment
balcony! Well…I got about halfway done and ran out of containers, so I’ll
finish tomorrow. I’m attempting three kinds of lettuce, broccoli, Brussels
sprouts, jumbo jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers. (I think that’s it….)
And of course while I was planting I
had a profound realization: if I expected anything to grow, I first had to create
a space and atmosphere where it could
grow. I had to prepare containers and soil in a place accessible to sunshine
and water. And lo and behold, another famous Grower of stuff came to mind….
There is a really cool theology book called Portraits of God by Allan Coppedge. In
it the author examines eight key roles in which God appears in both the Old and
New Testaments to reveal Himself to us. The eight roles God plays in Scripture
are King, Revealer, Priest, Judge, Father, Redeemer, Shepherd, and Creator. In
His role as Creator He grows stuff.
Genesis and Revelation both describe God as Creator, and Coppedge
says He also appears elsewhere “doing Creator-like things”. The “sub-roles” of
the Creator God in Scripture describe Him as Cultivator (Gardener), Builder,
and Potter. As Cultivator, in Genesis He created Eden; Isaiah 5 and John 15
picture Him as a Vinedresser; and the Gospels refer to Him repeatedly as “the
Lord of the harvest.” In reference to His work among His people Israel, God
said to David in 2 Samuel 7:10, “I will appoint a place for my people Israel,
and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place.”
So apparently God is really good at preparing a place for
stuff (and people) to grow and flourish.
One of my New Year’s Resolutions this year was to “bloom
where I am planted.” (I got this terminology from a mentor whose mother gave
her the same advice years ago.) Basically, I get my britches in a knot fairly often
about what the future holds – what is my next step? When do I need to take it?
(etc.) To bloom where I am planted is to remain in this moment of my journey
for as long as it lasts. The journey isn’t only about the destination; it is
about all the moments that make it up. Life is about living – day by day,
moment by moment. I will talk about this idea a little more in depth in my “Z”
post, but suffice it to say, I am learning to take root wherever I find myself. I may be transplanted in the
future, but until then, I intend to enjoy life and make memories with the people
I find around me now. That’s what makes life. That’s what keeps me growing and
healthy.
Wonderful as always, I do like to visit here, the cat in the picture was almost identicle to one I had for many years.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
To bloom where you're planted is a beautiful way of approaching life. I shall make a note!
ReplyDeleteRosalind Adam is Writing in the Rain
i admire you, planting a mini garden! i wish i could plant things without simultaneously preparing them for destruction.
ReplyDeleteand bloom where you're planted... very good. stopping by from A to Z and i like you.
aleasa(.net)
Bloom where you are planted! Nice. (I'd love to grow vegetables, but the squirrels get to them.)
ReplyDeleteI LOVE that saying. I'm putting it on a post-it note on my computer :)
ReplyDelete" Bloom where you are planted!" That is fantastic, I love that. In fact a close friend had imparted that same wisdom to me a few weeks ago which prompted my post for Enjoy Where You Are. Sometimes when we need to really get the message the Lord comes to us in several different directions with the same message:) Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteErick @ A Brief Sinfonia: Loving You're Wife From A-Z
I love your critters! And I love that saying 'bloom where I am planted'. I mean if you CAN'T--there are times in life we all really need to uproot. But if we aren't up to uprooting, it is definitely best to nurture ourselves so we can grow.
ReplyDeleteBe happy where you are now or you'll never be happy anywhere!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I do like that. It makes the chaos of life seem fun - you know, choose what you like within the chaos and "bloom." Love the analogy. And God is so many things to us, that whatever is good for us, he fits. Writer’s Mark
ReplyDeleteI really love this post... First of all, I'm inspired to do some gardening. :) But also, the quote about blooming where you're planted. It's so easy to forget that God puts us in places for a purpose, regardless of whether we like it or not. Thank you for this reminder. :)
ReplyDeleteHi, I'm stopping by on the A-Z Challenge.
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful post, and I love that photo!
ReplyDelete#atozchallenge, Kristen's blog: kristenhead.blogspot.com