Bloom where you are planted.

Sometimes I get caught up in all the things.

All the things I see other people doing.

The places they go.

How involved they are in church and ministry.

How involved they are in their business or work.

How involved they are in their children’s school, and sports..

I shortly after start being less than content with my life and what I’m doing.

I start asking myself, am I doing enough?
Should I have more interests?
Should I be more involved in my church and ministry?

I start questioning what my “purpose” is.

Then I see a quote like this one,

“Bloom where you are planted.”

My heart is big. I desire to help others and to be involved in all the things.

However as I’ve matured I’ve learned that for every “thing” I get Involved in, I am losing that time in other “things”. I have to prioritize and reevaluate if what I am choosing in my life is mostly taking from me or giving to me. What I mean by that is, spending time with my core people adds to my life. Spending time with my husband, my sons, my close family and friends, that adds to my life. Sometimes it’s doing the very things that require me serving others however it still adds to my life because I feel loved, joyful, and rewarded sowing into those relationships.

I sometimes get caught up with the “comparison trap” which we all know that is the “THIEF THAT STEALS OUR JOY!”

I see, let’s give her the name Pam. I see “Pam” serving in 10 ways at church, and being a leader, and attending all the events… and I’m like over here struggling to serve in 1 or 2 areas once a week.

I see “Jill” over here, going to all these bible studies, church events, conferences, and I am over here happy I was able to go to one conference in the last, I don’t know, eight years?!

I start wanting what they have or better yet what they’re “doing”. Whether they’re happy doing all those things or not shouldn’t matter to me. What should matter is, the reality of sacrifices they make to be able to do all those things…

Would I be willing to leave my family for a week for a conference? Nope. I wouldn’t. I’m in no way shaming them. Remember I was jealous two seconds ago, right? However, the reality is, I don’t want to sacrifice that time away from my family.

Would I be willing to make it to worship practice or bible study every single week, at night time after working with my children and our family owned business, and cooking dinner, and doing endless laundry? The answer yet again is, a big fat NOPE. I am too tired at night to do all those things. I just want to eat dinner with my hubby on the couch, cuddle, and watch our TV shows.

Am I willing to take my kids to sport practices on weeknights and attend games on weekends? Nope, atleast not in this season of life. Maybe once they’re older.

See, I desire the “fun” experiences of all these things. However I clearly am not desiring the work and sacrifices in order to experience those things.

It’s okay to enjoy not being overly busy. There are seasons my head is spinning with all the things I have to do. Those are the seasons I do all the things, but deep down am not satisfied. Because I hadn’t snuggled my boys and read them books, in what feels like forever. I haven’t had that date night with my hubby which is long over due and I miss doing it weekly. Instead I’m involved in all the things… but my core relationships are what get sacrificed.

Does it mean I stop getting asked to do things that occasionally I may enjoy doing? Yep. It does. And it sucks.

It sucks to stop getting asked because they assume your answer will be a no.

But you know what? What sucks more? Doing all the things, being “busy” to make yourself feel accomplished and having literally ZERO peace and rest for your body, mind, and spirit. Then on top of it, wondering why your core relationships are weak and in need of some attention.

So if I want to have fun or do something that requires commitment and sacrifice… I now examine how much sacrifice it will take from my core values (quality time with my loved ones) then I decide if I can fit it into my life in that “season” of my life.

So bloom where you’re planted.

If your season of life looks more like the busy bee season, that’s totally okay! Just make sure you’re not sacrificing your most important values, core relationships, in order to “do ministry”  or to be what appears to be the “best mom” since you’re  volunteering in all the things at your kids schools.

You can do anything, but you can’t do everything.

Pick and choose. And remind yourself why you made those decisions in the first place when you find yourself start comparing yourself and your life to others around you. If you want the change, make the change, but be realistic of what the change will require of you. Sometimes it will require you to say yes to more things and no to less important things. Sometimes it will require you to say no to a lot of things so you can say yes to helping your husband clean up the yard, helping your kids learn to read, whatever it may be, just know in those seasons, your answer may need to be no more frequently.

Choose well.

Love the life you’re living. Grow in the areas you desire to see growth. Bloom where you are planted. In the season of life that you are in.