A Call to Plant

If we keep planting, something will eventually bloom.

Last weekend, I looked out of my bedroom window and saw a white iris standing tall and in full bloom. It made me catch my breath for a moment. There are lots of things in bloom right now. It’s spring time in Georgia and the pollen count is through the roof. A blooming iris is by no means unusual.

But, this is the first of the season at my house, which always touches my heart. The first one always signals a new beginning, a new chapter that is beginning to unfold. I also have a history with this particular group of irises.

May parents have an old home place on their property. There’s nothing left at this point, but a decade or so ago, my hubby and I dug up a bunch of bulbs that had been planted near that house. We really didn’t have any idea what we were digging up, but we dug them up anyway and transplanted them to our backyard around some of our trees. Turns out, that they were irises.

The first couple of years, I tended to them. I watered them and kept them clear of debris. Some of them bloomed. Some did not. At one point, I divided them because they became overcrowded and some did really well. Some didn’t.

I haven’t given them much attention at all over the past several years. I got busy with work, and kids, and other projects. They have become very overcrowded. I haven’t fertilized them or watered them, yet, the first one has bloomed in spite of my lack of attention.

As I went to examine it, I was reminded that we never really get to decide what blooms, or when it blooms, or if it even blooms at all.

We can plant. We can nurture. We can water. Sometimes what we plant takes off and sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes we get to see the fruition of our hard work and sometimes we never get to see it, yet we are all called to plant something. Sometimes they are physical plants that we can enjoy or even eat. Sometimes it’s encouragement that someone needs desperately to hear. Sometimes it’s spiritual truth that may not take root until many years in the future.

Just because we may not get to see the blooms, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t plant or that we should get discouraged. We need to remember that we have a Divine Gardener, who has a plan. We simply need to keep planting.

A single iris reminded me. Sometimes I need reminding. Perhaps you do too.

Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂