Bloom Where You Are Planted — Even in Needles

Thank God, It’s Friday, on this 9/11, I’m remembering an important principle.

John Wimber used to say, “Bloom where you are planted.”

I always thought that was one of those little nuggets Wimber pulled straight out of the Bible. It certainly sounds like Proverbs.

Turns out, it isn’t.

You can search Proverbs from beginning to end and you won’t find those exact words. In fact, the expression has been around in Christian thought for centuries and has often been associated with St. Francis de Sales.

But while the sentence isn’t Scripture, the idea sure is.

Paul said:

“Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.”
— 1 Corinthians 7:20, KJV

And Jeremiah may give us an even better picture.

God’s people were living in Babylon. This wasn’t where they wanted to be. They were exiles. And God didn’t tell them to spend every waking hour dreaming about getting somewhere else.

He told them to build houses.

Plant gardens.

Raise their families.

Pray for the city.

Seek its peace.

In other words: Bloom where you’re planted.

Jeremiah 29:4–7 is remarkable because God essentially tells His people to become a blessing in a place they never expected to call home.

That got personal for me this morning.

I’m in Needles

I’m a member of Set Free Church in Needles, California.

And I live in Needles.

That’s where my feet hit the floor in the morning—even when those feet hurt and my ankles burn.

I’ve spent a lot of my life thinking about the next thing.

The next ministry.

The next project.

The next city.

The next opportunity.

The next great idea God might use.

Nothing is necessarily wrong with dreaming. I’ve been a dreamer most of my life.

But maybe sometimes God says:

Charlie, look around.

You’re already somewhere.

You’re already surrounded by people.

You’re already part of a church.

You’re already standing in a mission field.

So bloom.

The Problem Isn’t Always Where I’m Planted

Sometimes the problem is what’s happening between my ears.

We used to call it “stinking thinking.”

I can change towns without changing Charlie.

I can start another ministry without changing Charlie.

I can come up with another vision, another project and another plan—and still drag yesterday’s fears, resentments, disappointments and bad thinking right along with me.

That’s why Paul doesn’t merely tell us to relocate.

He says:

“Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
— Romans 12:2, KJV

There’s some Getting Free theology right there.

Freedom isn’t merely changing your circumstances. Freedom includes changing the way you think inside those circumstances.

I don’t want to spend whatever days God gives me wishing I were someplace else.

I want God to renew my mind here.

I want to love people here.

I want to forgive people here.

I want to serve Jesus here.

I want to encourage somebody here.

I want to bloom here.

A Tree Doesn’t Spend All Day Complaining About the Dirt

Psalm 1 describes the person who delights in God’s Word:

“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season…”
— Psalm 1:3, KJV

Notice something.

Fruit comes in its season.

At 76 years old, I don’t need to produce somebody else’s fruit.

And I don’t need to produce the fruit I produced when I was 26, 46 or 66.

I need to produce the fruit God wants from Charlie Wear in this season.

Maybe that’s one conversation.

Maybe it’s sitting with somebody who needs a friend.

Maybe it’s writing something.

Maybe it’s praying with somebody.

Maybe it’s helping around Set Free.

Maybe it’s admitting I was wrong.

Maybe it’s shutting my mouth when the old Charlie wants the last word.

Maybe it’s simply showing up.

That’s blooming too.

The Shepherd Knows Where the Grass Is

This morning we prayed the Lord’s Prayer and read Psalm 23.

And suddenly another familiar line sounds different:

“He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.”

He leadeth me.

Maybe I don’t have to spend so much energy figuring out where the next pasture is.

The Shepherd knows.

My job is to follow.

If He moves me someday, I’ll move.

But until then, I’m not going to spend today mentally living someplace else.

I’m in Needles.

I’m part of Set Free.

There are people around me who need Jesus, friendship, encouragement, laughter, prayer and hope.

And apparently there’s still some blooming left in this old plant.

Getting Free From Stinking Thinking

So here’s my prayer today:

Father, thank You for where You have planted me.

Forgive me for spending so much time worrying about yesterday and trying to engineer tomorrow.

Renew my mind.

Pull out the weeds of resentment, fear, pride, regret and stinking thinking.

Teach me to recognize the people You’ve already placed around me.

Show me somebody I can encourage today.

Show me somebody I can serve.

Show me where I need to forgive.

Show me where I need to listen.

And when I start looking over the fence wondering whether the grass is greener somewhere else, remind me:

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

I’m here, Lord.

I’m available.

So while I’m here—I’ll bloom where I’ve been planted…