I have heard the phrase “bloom (or grow) where you’re planted” many times in my life. I mentioned the phrase in a recent discussion with my dad, and added I was sure some years I was probably a prickly Cactus with one tiny prickly bloom. I began to wonder where the phrase originated after that discussion. I did a little research and found that it was credited to Saint Francis De Sales, the Bishop of Geneva, who lived from 1567-1622. Here is the cited quote:

“Truly charity has no limit; for the love of God has been poured into our hearts by His Spirit dwelling in each one of us, calling us to a life of devotion and inviting us to bloom in the garden where He has planted and directing us to radiate the beauty and spread the fragrance of His Providence.”

On a trip to St. Louis in 2021, my sisters and I visited the Botanical Garden there and I was struck by the beauty and variety of the various types of small gardens within the larger garden. The rose garden was near the end of its season, but still had a few colorful blooms.  The bulb garden contained blooms I had never heard of before. Orchids of many colors were in the greenhouse gardens. The Japanese garden had flowers that are not native to the US. But oddly enough, the one that caught my attention the most was the “Hosta Garden”.  Who knew there were so many different types of hostas? More than a few had interesting blooms on them. 

Every flower was designed by God for us to enjoy. Just as there are many, many types of flowers, there are many, many types of “us”.  What if you were a flower?  What type of bloom would you be? What type of bloom are you now? No matter what type of bloom we are, as the quote above states, we are to bloom where God has planted us and “spread the sweet fragrance” of His mercy and grace to those we meet. 

Maybe you are like the Cosmos and you bloom under even the harshest environments as you share God’s love with all you meet. Are you more like a Morning Glory that gets things done early in the day? Yet year after year, you spread further and further along the fence so that others see your beauty and learn of God’s great love. What about the sweet fragrant Roses that are used to represent love every February? But we have to brave the thorns to reach the beautiful, fragrant blooms. Once the blooms are reached, others see His grace and mercy clearly.

Perhaps you are like the Sunflower and not only share beauty, but you provide seeds as a source of food. The seeds you share prepare the recipients to learn more about Him.  Of course there are those who are like Orchids – needing plenty of tender loving care themselves, but oh the beauty they share when in full bloom!  People are drawn to them and are soon able to learn of The One who made them so uniquely beautiful.  

There are so, so many flowers that could represent how we minister to others in Jesus’ name.  No matter what type I am during my life, I hope that I am also like the Dandelion. Once those tiny seeds are blown away from the stem, may they float around and land where more seeds of God’s Great love, grace, and mercy can bloom into the most wonderful garden of believers!  

The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will bursting bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. Isaiah 35:1-2a