Author: hcfwomen

Since we are bound by time here on the earth, it’s hard for our human mind to comprehend the word “eternity.” I feel like it is one of those things we won’t fully understand until we are in the midst of it. Even though we have to wait to fully experience what eternity means, we can have an eternal perspective here on earth. This is a way of thinking that focuses on what is lasting and eternal, rather than on what is temporary and earthly. In Colossians 3:2, Paul states we need to “set our mind on things above, not on earthly things.” Easier said than done, right?

I have to admit, I was having a hard time with this topic. Even after a lot of prayer and asking the Lord to speak to my heart about what it means to have an “eternal perspective,” I felt like I had nothing. No nuggets of wisdom, no scripture references, no life stories to share. What I did have was a lot of self-doubt, worry, and frustration about various things in my life. Romans 8:5-6 says that those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace. The Lord revealed to me through that scripture that my mind had been so focused on worldly things that my worry/self-doubt/frustration was becoming louder than the peace the Spirit (Jesus) brings. My focus had slowly shifted from an eternal perspective to that of a worldly perspective, and that needed to change.

The Lord also revealed to me, through my children, that having an eternal perspective means we shift our focus from “self and the now” to “others and the future”. I was at home with my kids and it was one of those days where time was limited, but I really needed to get some things done. As those days usually go, there were constant interruptions from my kids (asking for snacks, needing school help, fixing arguments, etc.) The frustration was getting real, but God spoke to my heart and said, “They are what this is all about.” It’s about people, relationships, and sharing Jesus with others. It’s like making an investment for the future, but instead of investing money for worldly gain, we invest love. We love others and share with them the love of Jesus, so that hopefully those seeds that are planted will grow into a relationship with Him. I have heard a quote several times that says the “only thing from this life that we can take with us into eternity is other people”. That thought is so humbling to me! It is only through Jesus that anyone is able to be saved, but he does use us to show His love to other people.

It can be so hard to have an eternal perspective when, every day, this life reminds us that we currently live in a broken world. God is so good to guide us, though, when our focus begins to shift. He gives us opportunity after opportunity to love on others-whether that is a stranger at the grocery store or the children in our home. I happened upon a shirt the other day that says, “May heavenly things constantly interrupt our earthly things.” I loved the way that was worded, and that idea has been on my heart ever since. It is something that I pray will happen in my day to day. I am hoping for many opportunities for eternal investments! “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18

We want to thank Courtney Harper for sharing this post.

This Christmas, Stewart and I were given a book from one of our granddaughters: “To our grandparents: we want to hear your story.”

It starts by asking about the first time we met, and the last two questions in the book ask about places we still want to go and things we still want to do. And between those questions is our life, our journey, and our story. Reflecting over 60+ years, one thing has become evident: my eternal perspectives have changed drastically!

As a 14-year-old girl, my life revolved around having fun and boys. It was about the next adventure. I wasn’t thinking about Colossians 3:2, “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things of this earth.” Or Matthew 24:44 ,“Be ready! We do not know when our time comes.” My mind was fully set on the things of this earth!

I knew Jesus as my Savior at a very young age. My parents not only taught us God’s truth, but they were living examples of walking out your faith, fighting the good fight (1Tim.6:12-14), having a gentle spirit (Phil.4:5), being steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in faith (1 Cor.15:58), and being holy in conduct and godliness (2 Peter 3:11-12). Despite my upbringing, I still had my mind set on the things of this earth, but I felt something was missing. There was an emptiness that I kept trying to fill, a longing for something more.

It is said, “Our identity in Christ is a gift of God‘s grace, not a standing that we can earn by hard work and good intentions.” That is truth for me! When the Holy Spirit opened my eyes and heart to God‘s great love for me, that was the door through which everything else followed. I believe that living life and knowing who you are in Christ is the only way to have a good eternal perspective. It is going through good and bad times that helps us realize that our life is not in our hands, it is in the Lord‘s plan. 

For me, one of the most drastic changes in my eternal perspective is that our life choices can shape our destiny and have an eternal effect not only on our lives, but others’, either for good or bad. As I look back on my life, there were many times where my choices were not good ones. Thank God for His grace and mercy! He took those things and brought something wonderful and good out of them. My continued prayer is that He would use the good and the bad choices I make and turn them all for good and bring Him glory! We do have a choice; we can do it our way and spend most of our time and energy picking up the pieces and cleaning up our messes, or we can yield to God‘s plan for our lives and have the Holy Spirit give us wisdom and lead us in the right direction.

I will be turning 80 this coming May. My age has never bothered me, it is only a number; it’s not my identity or who I am. But my perspective of my life here on earth and my eternal life in Heaven have become more real, more welcoming (not that I want to rush it, I love my life here on earth.) I have learned to live each day with purpose, to embrace the time with my loved ones, to enjoy and make the most of each moment, even when I am going through a storm, knowing that God still has a purpose for me, and will equip me with everything I need to complete His plan (Phil.1:23).  I have learned that a Christian will never die; we will one day go to sleep in Christ and wake in Our Heavenly Home! Jesus will be there to greet me, along with all my loved ones that have gone before.

“O death where is your sting? O grave where is your victory? But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1Cor.15:55

“AMEN! COME, LORD JESUS!” Rev.22:20b

We want to thank Elaine Norrell for sharing this post.

“The words you speak reveal the content of your heart.” Matthew 12:34. This is something I remind myself often, especially after I say something I fully regret. 

Until this day, I still consider myself an introvert. I tell myself I have social anxiety and that’s why I can only handle small talk and only full-on conversations with the people I’m closest too. I hide away behind my extroverted husband, and I replay every conversation I ever have, over and over in my mind. But God has worked in my heart, He has reminded me even when I forget, that I am designed and made the way I am for a reason, in His image. 

Everyone has their own spiritual giftings. We function together as the body of Christ because each of us have our own strengths. We have our extroverts, whom I love! They can carry on a conversation; they can be the Mary’s in a room that make everyone feel warm and invited. Then, we have the Martha’s who work behind the scenes to make sure everything is in order. The most important thing we must never forget though, is the number one request from Jesus, and that’s to love His people well. 

How are we to love his people? By being authentically who we were made to be to reach the hearts of all people for Christ. We can’t do that if we are constantly criticizing ourselves, rethinking every conversation we have had or even forcing ourselves to be someone/something we aren’t. 

So, what do we do? Do we just hide from all conversation to avoid saying something we regret or stay in our social anxiety forever? No. We ask God to help us fix our thoughts on things above. We replace all the yucky feelings that we feel about ourselves and others with what He says about us and about others. We allow God’s voice to speak to us and through us. We let go of all the bitter feelings from past conversations we have had and regretted, and we forgive any words spoken to us and about us that were unkind.

We may not be able to take back our words after they are spoken, but God makes all things new, and His mercies are new every day. We can move forward, prepared to love others and be authentic with who God made us to be, knowing he made us the way we are for a reason. 

We want to thank Sarah Perry for sharing this post.

Today I had a conversation with a “friend.” I invited her into my house and started having a very familiar conversation. I told her about a situation that I was dealing with at work. She told me that someone would do a better job at my position than me. Then I started telling her about a new Bible study that I had started, and she reminded me of the many times I had started one only to quit after a few weeks. After talking to her for quite a while, she reminded me that I was just an utter failure…at life, at work, and in my walk with Christ. After all, other women had it all together, not me. I don’t have a perfect house, a perfect family, or a perfect life. Later, I told her about my boys and what they were doing with their lives. She told me that I had made lots of mistakes as a mother and she couldn’t believe that my boys had turned out so great. She also told me that I was fat, wrinkled, and gray headed. How could my husband still be in love with me? I looked her square in the eye and believed every word she was telling me. After all, we have had these conversations many times over the years.

That’s a friend?

You might be asking yourself, “What kind of friend would say that? How dare she say all of that about you? Did you slap her? Why did you stay there and take it?”

The problem is that I invited this friend into my life years ago and continue to invite her over all the time. My friend’s name is ME.

Have you ever had those kinds of conversations with yourself? Has there ever been a time when you look in the mirror and talk down to yourself by saying, “Wow, you’ve added a few pounds lately!” or “Gosh, that meal you cooked for your family could’ve been much better if…” or “Why does ____________ seem to have it all together and I can’t even get to work on time?” I think, as women, we are all guilty of this at one time or another. The words we speak over ourselves matter! We have got to STOP doing this!

Steps to Building Yourself Up:

Instead of talking down to yourself, try these things to build yourself up:

1. Positive self-talk – as a woman, you are always building others up.  Do yourself a favor and build YOU up! You deserve to be loved by yourself! Look in that mirror and say to yourself, “I am enough just the way I am!” or “I am great at what I do”. You might even say, “I believe in myself!” or “I am beautiful!”
2. Be kind to you – tell yourself that you are important, that you matter! You are a beautiful person and work hard at everything you do. Acknowledge that to yourself!
3. List all your strengths – trust me, you have many, many strengths. Be bold and brag a little on yourself!
4. BELIEVE WHAT YOU TOLD YOURSELF in steps 1-3!

What the Bible Says About You:

Maybe there is a reason you continue to talk down to yourself. You might have been criticized by a parent, a spouse or a friend your entire life. Don’t believe those lies anymore. God made you just the way you are for a reason.

The Bible clearly states that…

You are perfect just the way you are:

Psalms 139: 1- “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

v. 16: Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

God put you in the job you are in and has BIG plans for you:

Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

God says you are precious:

The Bible says in Proverbs 31:10-11 “She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.”

Proverbs 31: 28 “Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.”

Be a Better Friend to Yourself!

We have all heard the saying that a friend loves at all times. Women are the greatest friends. We are there for each other. Our friends listen to us when we are sad and build us up when we need encouragement. Why, then, don’t we do that for ourselves? If words truly matter, we need to speak kindness and goodness into our own lives. God would want us to be proud of His creation!

Next time you catch yourself talking down to yourself, kick “your friend” to the curb, do some positive self-talk, meditate on God’s word, and BELIEVE the TRUTH about who God says you are! You, my dear woman, are a blessing and a gift to those around you!

We’d like to thank Vickie Young for sharing this post.

As children we learn the nursery rhyme, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” That is the biggest lie we tell our kids and ourselves. Let me give you one example. A few years ago, Don and I went to Ruidoso to celebrate our anniversary. We were married in the middle of December, so it was cold. We went to dinner and a show at the Spencer Theater. Did I mention it was cold? Well, it was very cold when everyone started scurrying to their warm cars after the show. There was an older couple walking in front of us. The husband was holding his wife’s hand, and he was walking at a faster pace than she was. They got to a curb and as she stepped up, she caught her toe and stumbled and fell. Luckily, she wasn’t hurt. The husband was exasperated with her clumsiness. While others (Don and I included) stopped to help her up, the husband just stood there. Once we made sure she was ok they continued to their car. Don and I were following because we were parked close by. Not realizing we were in earshot the husband glanced at the wife and said, “You’re an idiot.” The wife turned to her husband said, “You’re an idiot.” And that just proved that words can hurt. I’ve often wondered what else was said between that couple. Not just that night but on other occasions in their lives. 

Proverbs 15:4 says, “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.”

I understand how words can crush a spirit. All my life, I have been guilty of negative self-talk. I have told myself I’m dumb, worthless, unlovable, hopeless. The words I have spoken to myself about myself have done extreme damage to not only my self-esteem but also to my relationship with others and most of all with my Heavenly Father. The words I said to myself led me to believe the lies of the evil one. 

Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat it’s fruit.” 

The fruit I was eating was rotten. It caused pain to so many people. And in the process of living with those lies in my head I hit rock bottom. But in reality, that was probably one of the best things that could have happened to me. 

Genesis 50:20 says, “What the enemy meant for harm, God meant it for good.” 

I was blessed to find a wonderful Christian counselor who has helped me to learn the truth of the words that I say to myself. Yes, the evil one still attacks and says painful things to me, but I have also learned to listen to the truth spoken over me by my Heavenly Father. In the process of seeking truth over lies I have become bolder in how I not only talk to myself but also to others. I choose and try to speak life and truth into people’s lives. I want to be known as a Proverbs 31 woman. Especially Proverbs 31:26- “She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.” Have I got that self-talk completely under control? No. But it’s a work in progress. Our words must bring life and healing to those around us and for the one we see in the mirror because when you speak a word, you can’t take it back. 

So back to my original statement: “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” It has been proven to me that words can be just as damaging and hurtful as a physical weapon.

Matthew 12:36 tells us, “But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgement for every empty word they have spoken.” 

So, my prayer is: “Lord, make my words good!”

We want to thank Hope Warren for sharing this post.

My eight-year-old grandson has an amazing vocabulary. He is especially well-versed in words that are found in video games, Disney cartoons, and action movies for kids. There is nothing wrong with the words he speaks, but they are worldly words. Most of us learn our manner of speech from family and friends as we grow up. We learn what words are appropriate around what group of people.  

In the Message Bible, Matthew 5:21-22 says, “Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire.” The simple moral fact is that words kill. So, we also learn that words can hurt, and deeply. We don’t realize what power words have until we meet THE Word. Then we learn to speak with wisdom.

“We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.”  I Corinthians 2:6

“This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.” I Corinthians 2:13

​One thing I have had to learn over the years, and which I still must practice, is making my words match my beliefs – my faith in Him. 2 Corinthians 4:13 says, “It is written: ‘I believed; therefore, I have spoken.’ Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak.”  

When I believe the words in the Bible, my own speech should match those words, not contradict them. The Bible teaches us that God CAN NOT lie. Every word in the Bible is true. Speaking these words back to Him, and to ourselves, is the highest and best form of speech. These words are living, active, and powerful.

​Since this is February, the month of Valentine’s Day, I’m thinking about the words I speak to my husband. I must admit, when I was first married, the words I spoke sometimes were used to provoke an argument. I used my words to manipulate or to try to gain attention. It has taken the Holy Spirit some time to align my words with God’s way of speaking. Now, thankfully, MOST of the time, I try to speak words of gratitude, appreciation, and encouragement to my sweet husband. I’m just so thankful that he put up with the growing pains over these years.  

God has given us such a wonderful array of words to use, and these words we speak are meant to be encouraging to others – and to ourselves. God is always calling out the best in us, calling us His children, naming us saints, and encouraging us in every possible way. He wants us to use our words in this same way with others.  

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”  Ephesians 4:29

Let’s allow Holy Spirit to continue to bring graceful, wonderful words out of our hearts through our mouths, both toward others in our lives and toward ourselves.

We want to thank Sheri Warren for sharing this post.

**During the month of January, we will be reposting some of the top posts from 2024. We hope these will encourage you and connect to your heart. Stay tuned for all new posts coming in February 2025!**

I have always loved flowers. For as long as I can remember, they have captivated me. The vast array of shapes, the infinite shades of color – flowers move me. They speak to me of the heart of God. 

But have you ever noticed how some of the most beautiful blooms come from the most difficult of circumstances? Flowers can grow and bloom on the side of cliffs, in the frigid landscapes of Alaska, and even in the desert. Even the beloved peony, requires a freeze to bloom in the spring.

Every summer, we visit my husband’s family ranch. And while they do get some rain, it is basically…a desert. I’ve made multiple trips to this place of wild beauty over the years, but one thing that is rare to find at the ranch is a flower – one that blooms. Several years ago, while on one such trip, a spark of yellow caught my eye. It was so unusual, and I didn’t have any kids with me at the moment (also highly unusual for that season of life), so I trekked over to it. It turned out that the spark of yellow, was the most GORGEOUS flower I have ever seen. It was mainly yellow, with tinges of pink and orange all throughout it. And it was perched on the edge of a cactus. I knew enough to know that God had placed it there in my eyesight, just for me. As the trip went on, I saw several more – here and there. Finally, I was prompted to ask God – “Lord, I love these, but why here, why now? I’ve been here many summers, and never seen even a single one of these.”

He responded simply, “You are my desert flower.” 

I was so impressed by the simplicity of it – and yet didn’t completely understand. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was about to enter a wilderness season. A season with hard circumstances, bouts of spiritual dryness, and lots of loss. 

But it was still a season in which I was meant to bloom. 

God was not surprised by the desert season I was entering. He knew exactly where he had planted me, and he knew that I would bloom. Even when we don’t know, God does. And just like the flowers that he has placed in the desert, the frigid landscapes of Alaska, and on the side of cliffs – he knows exactly where we are planted.

Those flowers are able to survive in harsh conditions, because God has given them what they need. They have special adaptations, specifically for the circumstances in which they must grow. And so, dear friend, do you.

In a passage where Christ is addressing worry, (Matthew 6:28-29), he says, “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” He provided for the flowers, and how much more dear to Him are you?

Just because you are planted in difficult circumstances, does not mean you aren’t meant to bloom. 

God has given you all that you need to grow and to bloom. Your environment may not look like one that is conducive for growing incredible blooms, but remember – it’s the harshest environments that sometimes produce the most beautiful blooms. It is in those environments – as friends and family see you toil and suffer – that as they then see you bloom, God’s glory shines the brightest. 

So lean in. Press in to his presence, and let your roots go deep. Let him guide you and show you just how he has created you for your unique circumstances. 

Let Him show you how to bloom where you are planted. Because you are His Desert Flower.

We want to thank Brooke Kellum for sharing this post.

**During the month of January, we will be reposting some of the top posts from 2024. We hope these will encourage you and connect to your heart. Stay tuned for all new posts coming in February 2025!**

What do you think of when you hear the word “promise?” Depending on what you have walked through in life, that word might or might not hold much weight. People, in our flawed humanity, tend to toss that word around. We make promises, only to break them (whether intentionally or not). It’s no wonder that when people hear about the promises of God, they may be apprehensive. So how do we learn to move past what we may have experienced with others and trust that God will keep His promises?

I saw a quote from one of Jennifer K. Dean’s books that says, “A promise is only as good as the person who makes it. The character of the promiser is what gives the promise its value.” In other words, you can only truly trust someone to keep their word if you know their character. If you look throughout scripture, you find that God openly reveals his character to us. He never once breaks any of his promises, because keeping promises is in His very nature! (2 Corinthians 1:20, Psalms 18:30, Hebrews 10:23) Believing that God is who He says he is helps us to respond in faith and believe that He will also do what He says He will do.

Around six years ago, my husband and I felt like we were supposed to add another child to our family. We already had two sweet blessings who we loved so much, but we knew in our spirit that someone was missing. When we agreed to have a third baby, we didn’t realize that it would be three years of waiting before it would happen. I didn’t really speak about this time of waiting with anyone other than my husband, but I did begin to wonder if we had heard God correctly. I wondered if maybe having another baby was my desire, but didn’t necessarily line up with what God’s plans were for our family.

In the middle of my impatience, I started to sort and give away some of the baby clothes I had kept because they were taking up closet space. With each piece of clothing that I put in the “give-away” pile, I would get more and more discouraged. I cried out to the Lord and asked Him if I missed something. I asked Him if we had misheard him several years ago, and why did I feel this way if we were done having children? In His gentle way, God spoke to my heart and simply said “Sadie.” That name was His way of reminding me of the promise He had already given me three years before. I held onto her name (my promise) for 6 more months and then found out I was pregnant. I knew three things right away: my baby was a girl, her name was Sadie, and God is a promise keeper.

It was not always easy during that time of waiting. When we want God to operate on our timeline instead of His, it makes the waiting that much harder (that was certainly what I experienced). However, by spending time with the Lord through prayer and studying His word, I already knew His character. In knowing God’s character, I was able to hold onto my faith that He is who he says He is, and He will do what He says He will do. Even if it is not in our timeline, even if it doesn’t look exactly like we thought it would, we can trust the Promise Keeper.

We want to thank Courtney Harper for sharing this post.

**During the month of January, we will be reposting some of the top posts from 2024. We hope these will encourage you and connect to your heart. Stay tuned for all new posts coming in February 2025!**

Today I had a conversation with a “friend.” I invited her into my house and started having a very familiar conversation. I told her about a situation that I was dealing with at work. She told me that someone would do a better job at my position than me. Then I started talking to her about writing my blog, and she said that no one would probably read it because what did I have to offer? After all, other women had it all together, not me. I don’t have a perfect house, a perfect family, or a perfect life. Later, I told her about my boys and what they were doing with their lives. She told me that I had made lots of mistakes as a mother, and she couldn’t believe that my boys had turned out so great. She also told me that I was fat, wrinkled, and gray headed. How could my husband still be in love with me? I looked her square in the eye and believed every word she was telling me. After all, we have had these conversations many times over the years.

That’s a friend?

You might be asking yourself, what kind of friend would say that? How dare she say all of that about you? Did you slap her? Why did you stay there and take it?

The problem is that I invited this friend into my life years ago and continue to invite her over all the time. My friend’s name is ME.

Have you ever had those kinds of conversations with yourself? Has there ever been a time when you look in the mirror and talk down to yourself by saying, “Wow, you’ve added a few pounds lately!” or “Gosh, that meal you cooked for your family could’ve been much better if…” or “Why does ____________ seem to have it all together, and I can’t even get to work on time?” I think, as women, we are all guilty of this at one time or another. We have got to STOP doing this to ourselves!

Instead of talking down to yourself, try to build yourself up by speaking life over yourself (Proverbs 18:21). As a woman, you are always building others up. Do yourself a favor and build YOU up! You deserve to be loved by yourself! Look in that mirror and say to yourself, “I am enough just the way God made me!” or “I am great at what I do.” You might even say, “I am beautiful!” Consider listing all of your strengths – trust me, you have many, many strengths. Be bold and brag a little on yourself! Then the hard part: BELIEVE WHAT YOU TOLD YOURSELF!

What the Bible says about You:

Maybe there is a reason you continue to talk down to yourself. You might have been criticized by a parent, a spouse, or a friend your entire life. Don’t believe those lies anymore. God made you just the way you are for a reason. The Bible clearly states,

You are perfect just the way you are: Psalms 139: 1,16, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

God put you in the job you are in and has BIG plans for you: Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

God says you are precious: Proverbs 31:10-11, 28, “She is worth far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.” “Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.”

We have all heard the saying that a friend loves at all times. Women are the greatest friends. We are there for each other. Our friends listen to us when we are sad and build us up when we need encouragement. Why, then, don’t we do that for ourselves? Be a better friend to yourself!

Next time you catch yourself talking down to yourself, kick “your friend” to the curb, speak life over yourself, meditate on God’s word, and BELIEVE the TRUTH about who God says you are! You, my dear woman, are a blessing and a gift to those around you!

We want to thank Vickie Young for sharing this post.

**During the month of January, we will be reposting some of the top posts from 2024. We hope these will encourage you and connect to your heart. Stay tuned for all new posts coming in February 2025!**

When I hear the word “bloom” I think about my front porch flower bed. Where springtime brings new blooms, new beginnings, and a new enjoyment for my family. My front porch is one of my favorite places to sit and enjoy my morning coffee, read and study my Bible, or just hangout with Larry and Nala (my fur baby) in the evening as the sun sets and stars appear.

As I studied about “Bloom where you are planted”, I discovered it’s a phrase that you cannot find exactly in the Bible. But, there are many references to the thought of “bloom where you are planted”.

Genesis 1:28… God told Adam and Eve to bloom where they were planted. “Be fruitful and increase in number…”

Genesis 50:20…Joseph bloomed where he was planted, and God turned it around for his good. “…you intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done…”

1 Corinthians 7:17 God wants us to bloom where He has planted us, even if it is hard.  “Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned them, just as God has called them.”

God calls all of us to “bloom” where He has planted us. So, why are we sometimes not happy to bloom where God has planted us? Does He really have a plan for my life where I am right now? Why can’t I be more like ______ ?(fill in your blank) She seems to have it all together!

I believe sometimes we struggle to bloom where we are planted because we compare our lives to others. After hearing Pastor Anthony teach on an “orphan spirit”, a feeling of lack.  I feel like comparison is an orphan spirit.  “If I only had what Betty Sue had”, then I would be happy! Sound familiar? With all the social media at our fingertips today, and seeing all the “perfect” posts with the “perfect” family.  If our identity is not rooted in Christ, then we may have a sense of lack and struggle with comparison.  Our comparison can overtake our thoughts, minds and actions! Then we are unable to bloom where God has planted us.

As I was studying for this blog I found a story that I want to share…

“An ancient legend tells of a king who walked into his garden one day to find almost everything withered and dying. After speaking to an oak near the gate, the king learned that he was troubled because he was not tall and beautiful like the pine. The pine overheard their conversation and added that she, too, was upset, for she could not bear delicious fruit like the pear tree. The pear tree heard his name and began to complain that he did not have the lovely odor of the spruce. And so it went throughout the entire garden.

Near the very edge of the garden grew a little daisy. As the king approached, he noticed her bright little face, full of life. “Well, little flower,” said the monarch, “I’m glad to find that there is at least one happy face in my garden.”

“Oh king,” she said, “I know I’m little, and not many people notice me, but one day I realized that if you planted me here, you must have had a good reason. So, your majesty, I’ve determined to be the best little flower I can be!”

Our King has planted a beautiful garden. Not one of us is greater than the next. It is His perfection.

We must come to a place where we trust that God has a reason for creating us the way He has and has planted us in just the place he desired. Comparing ourselves with one another will only make us wither. When we become satisfied with His creation (that is us), that’s when we’ll find true happiness”.. and we will shine. Let’s give God all our disappointments and be determined to be the best that we can be for Him!”

God has a perfect plan for your life, embrace where you are in your life right now and as a daughter of the King you can bloom where He has planted you, by choosing to be content and trusting God’s plan for your future.

We want to thank Bambi Lutrick for sharing this post.