Bloom Where You Are Planted

Published June 23, 2020 by SMBC

Jeremiah 29:7

I was first asked to write this post back in April, so it could be posted at a later date. Well lucky for you I am a procrastinator. Why does that make you lucky? Well, April was a very different time than pre-pandemic, but as I sit at my computer 3 months into our new normal, it is a very different world than it was just a month into COVID-19. Honestly, I don't think I could stomach reading today what I would have written 60 days ago. Also Kate was handling all the home schooling, so she may have had a completely different opinion from my idealistic view!

Can you blame me? Prior to this new world I traveled at least 2 times a week, and the last time I didn't travel in a 90-day period was likely 15 years ago. All that to say, my kids Elliot (9), Lincoln (6), and Collins Grace (4) have never known a world where their father was home for every bedtime and every morning when they woke up. As a result, 30 days into the pandemic was wonderful for me. Family dinners, game nights, and family movie nights?on a Tuesday, what wasn't to like? Without the hustle and bustle of normal routines we were all really enjoying the time together and the new found calmness.

Back at day 30, the blessing felt almost automatic. But now, several months into a pandemic and a national awakening to the issues of racism, it's not automatic. Elliot craves social interaction that we are still limiting, but a bit looser. Lincoln needs to burn off a never-ending supply of energy. Collins Grace yearns for her opportunities to be line leader and all the other ways she got to help out in preschool. I got so comfortable working from home that every day blended together and I found myself living in the home office. Our community is hurting and trying to heal after the unthinkable happened yet again.

Blooming is a pay-off that requires being more than just rooted in one place. It requires tending?full honesty plants struggle in our household, even succulents have struggled. While our family was growing in the first 30 days, we needed more to bloom. We needed to be intentional. Fortunately, I have an amazing wife who regularly brings me back into focus, and helps me to see where our life and family needs tending most to bloom. She led me to faith, and she leads our family with grace in these challenging times as we have difficult conversations about race and injustice.

If all the days are blending together, where do you need to tend today? Where can we each tend to our community?

Father, we pray that through You our families may bloom in this time, and we pray that healing and change will allow all families in our communities to bloom. We know all this is possible through You, and we pray You guide our intentionality to tend to Your garden in these uncertain times so we see the Blooming of Your plan here on earth.

? Ryan Lane