“You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and I have appointed you (I have planted you), that you might go and bear fruit…”- John 15:16 (AMP)

I noticed a large patch of bright red tulips growing in between my garage and my next door neighbor’s fence. It formed a beautiful bouquet of at least a dozen vibrant flowers. Funny thing was I didn’t remember ever seeing tulips bloom there before. I wondered who planted them.

For days I couldn’t get the brilliant red flowers off of my mind. I considered having them transplanted to a more viewable spot. But I was still curious who planted them where they were in the first place.

One night, I asked my husband if he knew anything about the mysterious red tulips. He reminded me that a few years prior, he had dug up some weeds that were growing too close to the house. He said he threw them in a large dirt pile next to the garage and smothered them with rocks. Then he doused them with some old paint thinner-he thought it was just a pile of weeds he was killing off.

The only thing he could figure was the previous owners of our house must have planted some tulip bulbs in the soil he dug up and buried. Listening to his explanation I thought how hardy those flowers were to push their way through to bloom under the conditions in which they were planted.

Life, oftentimes, plants us in unique circumstances. We may be planted as a parent, or in a particular vocation. We could find ourselves placed in situations we’re dissatisfied with such as living as a single parent, or experience a disability or loss of some kind. God has allowed us to be planted in various places and uses them to bring us closer to Him, strengthen and teach us things we may never have learned. Sometimes, God wants us to be an example to others or make a difference where we are planted. Look at how God used many great men and women throughout history to blossom and change the world.

Wherever life has planted us today we should pray and ask God to give us wisdom and insight to use the situation for our good and the good of others. We need to embrace change and challenge. As we submit to God’s leading, we can move forward into His will as we choose to bloom where we are planted!

Annettee Budzban ahrtwrites2u@aol.com