Now that fall is upon us, I decided to decorate my front porch with Autumn/Fall décor’. I scurried off to my local nursery to see what was in bloom for this season. I already had the perfect pots for this transformation to take place.
But there was one problem – I already had 2 hibiscus plants still flourishing in them. But I needed the pots for the in-season plants so, I decided to transplant them.
I carefully dug all-around to uproot these plants. Holding my favorite bush in my hand with the root system fully exposed, I thought about how shocking this must be for the plant. I wondered if it would recover from being totally exposed.
This reminded me of different seasons in my own life where God had taken me from one comfortable place into the unknown, and how that caused my roots – what lay beneath the surface of my life – to be exposed. That exposure felt harsh, cold, and fearful. It was a vulnerable place to be, but necessary to see what areas of my life might keep me from flourishing.
Vulnerable Roots
I carefully but quickly repositioned the plant into its new vessel with fresh soil full of nutrients. I took great care in removing the new plants out of their tiny containers where their roots were tightly bound and entangled. And while they had beautiful blooms and flowers – if they stayed in that place much longer – they would die. I began to tend to each plant, carefully removing the dirt from the clotted roots until they were loose enough to take root in the new soil.
At that moment, I saw myself as this plant – with its roots vulnerable and fully exposed being taken from that safe, tight place that was familiar and home. I also saw myself in the hands of my loving Heavenly Father who was separating my entangled mess and positioning me to flourish in an unfamiliar place with fresh soil and room to grow.
He Wants us to Flourish
Psalm 92:12-13 (NIV) says, “But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted to the Lord’s own house. They flourish in the courts of our God.”
The word flourish means to grow in a healthy, vigorous way; thrive; prosper.
The Lord desires for us to flourish like a beautiful plant. We thrive in His presence and will become a flourishing garden as we are rooted and grounded in the soil of His love. The gentle care of the Master gardener is all the while working behind the scenes. He is orchestrating situations and circumstances on our behalf.
When we learn what we need in one season, He strategically replants us into the next. Though it may be uncomfortable, know that God takes great delight in seeing us grow in our capacity as we become more and more like Christ’s image.
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