This is where I live, this is where I serve, and this is where I have my greatest impact.
Have you ever heard “bloom where you are planted”? That makes great sense if you are a dandelion, or a rose, or a maple tree, or, or, or? Of course, the plant world gets it. They don’t really have a choice. They just bloom where they are planted.
So, unless someone uproots a plant and transplants it somewhere else, it will do the next thing on the to do list—grow and bloom. Oh, to be a plant. ?
But us? We have choices, oh so many choices. Most of us are pretty firmly rooted in our communities and unless something happens, we will wake up the next day and still be pretty firmly rooted in the same community. This means that today and tomorrow we have great opportunities to make the world a better place by just growing and blooming where we live.
Of course, there are different stages of life and things will shift, and if you find yourself transplanted, follow the plants lead. A transplanted plant needs time to reacclimate and reestablish. Often it will take a tree a year or more to regrow roots, which is why I as a farmer prune the top of the tree at the same time I transplant it. So, if you find yourself in a major move (location or life), I would encourage you to prune your schedule and grow some roots in your new community/phase of life and then look for opportunities to serve.
When I transplant annuals like lettuce, those plants will take a few weeks to get growing. That is akin to moving to a new home in the same community or maybe a life event that will take you out of action for a season. It would still be good to take a few weeks or month and prune your schedule to settle in. And, after a time of re-rooting, engage back in with your community/new community.
Solomon in the Bible shares that there is nothing new under the sun. I agree that many of the “new” principles or ideas or innovations are not new, but what is new is that a new person is thinking about how to do something through their own lenses and filters. I sincerely believe that everyone is uniquely created to make the places we live, work, and congregate better places. We all have the ability to leave our communities richer and better today and tomorrow. We just need to be OURSELVES and grow and bloom where we are planted.
Tristan
Farmer, Community Health Advocate