Blooming Takes Work

The first month of the new year is almost over. New year's resolutions are either becoming new habits or abandoned wants. I gave up the idea of resolutions years ago and went with a word for the year. A new year feels like a new chapter or a brand new notebook. It is full of possibilities.

My word for 2024 is Bloom. Some years I struggle and pray over my word, but this year as I studied for my ladies Sunday school class it felt like God just placed it in my heart. I had been working on my winter garden and noticed my marigolds. I planted one batch early in the season to help with pests. I was really frustrated with them though. The seeds sprouted and grew but didn’t bloom. I ended up pulling them up because they were taking over the garden but not blooming. One evening we were at the hardware store and I saw the small marigolds on sale. I grabbed a couple six packs that were already blooming. Even though it was late in the season I thought it might help some. They went crazy with blooms. While I was dead-heading the flowers, I realized that the seeds are the petals of the flowers. This pushed me to research the benefits of marigold. That research became a Sunday school lesson. The Sunday school lesson became my word for the year and now a blog post :).

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Marigolds are amazing little plants. Benefits range from pest control in the garden to healing properties in salves and tea. The roots and plant have a couple benefits but for the most part it is the bloom that has the most benefits. Not only does the bloom have all these benefits but it also produces seed.

Just like the marigold, we are the most beneficial when we bloom. Blooming doesn’t always just happen, though. It takes care. The plants need proper light, nutrition, temperature and sometimes pruning in order to bloom. We can get so busy caring for others that caring for ourselves becomes an afterthought. We have listened to the lies that say taking care of ourselves is selfish. There has been a fad in the last few years of “self-care.” It portrays self-care as lavish spa experiences, vacations, shopping and all kinds of self-focused indulgences. True self-care is nurturing your spirit, mind and body, so you can fulfill what God created you to be. We need proper light, nutrition, temperature and pruning to bloom as well.

We need light. Physically, sunlight has so many benefits. A quick Google search will show that sunlight is known to aid in the production of vitamin D, support bone health, lower blood pressure, and prevent disease. It is also proven to promote good mental health. Likewise our spirits need light. Light is referenced over 200 times in the Bible. A theme throughout the gospel of John, is Jesus being the light.

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Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. - John 8:12 KJV

We live in a dark world. If you look or listen on any media source, it won’t take long to see just how dark and hopeless it is. Thankfully we do have the Light. Relationship with Jesus gives us hope beyond this life (1 Co 15:19). 

We need nutrition. There is the old saying, “You are what you eat.” The older I get the more true I realize it is. My body lets me know when I have not drunk enough water. My stomach lets me know when I have had too many heavy meals and need some lighter fresher meals. Many scriptures reference Jesus as the bread of life or the living water. I know when I have not spent enough time in His Word and in worship.

Temperature isn’t as straightforward as the other two. Physically, if I am too cold I will grab socks and a blanket. If I am too hot, I turn on the A/C. What about our emotional climate? How is our stress level? Physically too much stress can cause physical damage to our bodies. Just like with plants, a little stress, like a certain number of hours of cold or heat, can be necessary for growth. A little stress in our lives can motivate you. Some people work best under a short deadline. The Bible talks about temperature as well.

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. - Revelation 3:14-16 KJV

​We need pruning. Oh there are so many ways I can take pruning. Right now I am going to focus on the cutting away of stuff. In my house we have dubbed this our declutter year. We have already made a few trips to donation centers. There was a fad a while back about getting rid of the things in your home that didn’t spark joy. Now that isn’t really practical. I know of many things in my home that don’t spark joy but are necessary and I can’t get rid of them. Maybe we need to do a spiritual declutter. Instead of asking if it sparks joy, we need to ask does this bring me closer to God?

Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. - 1 John 2:15-17 KJV

God in His infinite wisdom gave us an example of burning the candle at both ends. One of my favorite women is Martha. It is probably because I can relate to her. I do think too many times we look at the highlights of her story. ​

Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. Luke 10:38-42 KJV

Martha had seen to the needs of those around her. Had she eaten? She probably didn’t know where her water cup was or if it even had any water in it. Who knows if she had even left the kitchen besides when she served the food. She probably hadn’t seen the sun that day. We can clearly see she let her emotional temperature get too high. Jesus so kindly reminded her that she needed to stop and feed her spirit. He didn’t condemn her for doing what was necessary but reminded her that she had given some things higher priority than they needed to be. I do believe Martha put down the dish rag and pans to listen to Jesus. We see in John 11 when Lazarus died, Martha went to meet Jesus before He could even make it to their house. ​

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat [still] in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give [it] thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.  Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. - John 11:20-24 KJV

Here Martha shows a relationship with Jesus that didn’t come from just passing the potatoes. She had taken time to listen. She had faith, but she was still human and had fear. She still needed Jesus to step in and raise something that was dead in her life.

Just like Marth I am learning that I can pour from an empty cup, but it won't be as effective as a full cup. One or two blooms will help a bit but a full bush will affect more. This year I am going to bloom. I have to focus on my source of light, my nutrition, my temperature and what needs pruning. It is necessary in my physical life and my spiritual life. Blooming takes work.

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