Hey! Hey! I might be a tad early or late (depending on how you look at it) being that where I am living, I am not in the spring season.  We are supposedly in the fall season where the leaves on the trees have changed colors. However, a few days ago our first snow with freezing temperatures just arrived, but trust me, this is a very relevant message.

Have you heard the expression, “Bloom where you are planted?” Do you understand what it means?   
 
The word bloom is defined as the following:
-a period of flowering
-a period of rapid and excessive growth
-a state or time of freshness and vigor
-a state or time of high development or achievement
 
The word planted is defined as the following:
-to put or set in the ground for growth
-to set or sow with seeds or plants
-to establish or institute

When we look at flowers in our garden, not only are they beautiful, but they bloom  as long as they are well-groomed, there is adequate sunlight, water, and the soil has to be just right. I have enclosed a link here for more information about caring for annual flowers to maintain blooming! 

You might be thinking, “What does this have to do with journeying by faith?”  As we are journeying by faith, it is important to remember to stay planted until God promotes us and/or moves us to the next level. It could be a new profession, new responsibilities, new position, or a new level of open doors. All of this requires a new depth to your journey of faith with Him. This is part of trusting Him and being submissive to His plan. 

Being planted doesn’t just mean, Ok, I’m going to wait where I’m at, do a bare minimum job, give little effort, maybe complain a lot, be dismissive of the folks around me, but when God promotes me, I’m going to be on my best behavior then.
 
He’s looking to see how well we are handling things now. Are we doing all that we can do in the spot that we are in now? Are we growing by learning from others (those with wisdom) around us? Are we being reflective? How’s our attitude?
 
Part of understanding the importance of this, is being willing to trust God in your process. He gave you a lot of gifts to share with the world, so what are you going to do with them? What are you doing with them at this moment? Quick story for you.

About 3 years ago, I was teaching in a school that many referred to as the “worst school in the district.” As a matter of fact, I didn’t even want to teach there because of the many things I had heard from other educators, yet as God would have it, I was placed there.
 
Well, while I was there I started a program called Creative Expressions. The program encompassed drama and dance. I facilitated instruction for creativity in acting, dance, and performance. Overall I had a total of 22 girls involved in the program. The culminating event was a performance with acting, music, and dance. Now, I had some help along the way, but overall God used me to bring forth this vision. In the midst of this, there were some obstacles:
 
-I lost some girls along the way that couldn’t make the commitment and/or didn’t think this was going to happen
-When we performed one of the shows to a large group of students, they were so disrespectful that I had to dismiss that group to go back to class
-I was asked to change the performance date at the last minute (after months of parent communication re: rehearsals)
-Not everyone supported what we were doing
 
However, here were the victories:
 
-The lives of some girls were changed as some never participated in a performance with costumes and dance shoes
-God showed me again what He can do through little old me
-The thank you and the bouquet of flowers from my participants touched my life and once again reminded me this was not about me.
-Those that supported the program had great feedback (areas of growth and areas of strength) to give me
-The girls overcame anxiety, stage fright, and became very close friends
-I grew

So what am I saying? Do all that you can do and know to do where you are currently at, for this is His plan for you. We must bloom where we are currently planted.  Where we are at as of now in our lives, prepares us for the next endeavor.
 
I encourage you to take a quick reflective inventory to see how well and/or if  you are blooming where you are planted. If there are some changes that you can make, go ahead and start making those changes!  
 
I hope that this blessed and challenged you!  If you want to read more about the importance of using your gifts, you can find The Parable of the Talents here.

As always, keep moving by faith and continue to grow!   

Kia