10/04/2023
“Bloom Where Planted”
I was the new kid a lot.
Atlanta, GA
Cleveland, OH
Jackson, MS
Mobile, AL
All the places that I’ve called home in my lifetime. Being a transplant is not always easy, but I wouldn’t change the story of my life or the strength that those moves built in me over the years. I also developed deep compassion for anyone who is the new person to an area or institution. Each year our school offers the opportunity to serve as a New Family Ambassador, and each year it is one of my favorite volunteer roles.
This year I was invited to provide flowers for the New Parent Coffee which our school hosts each year. I have shared before that I feel most like myself when my work and personal beliefs align, and this was a prime example.
“Bloom Where Planted,” a common saying, was something that came to me while preparing the content for this event. To me, the tree represents the community in which we are placed, regardless of the age or season of life. The flowers in bloom surrounding the tree represent all of us together, blooming wherever planted. This arrangement was so well received, and I have been able to recreate it for others as well.
To those who are not the new person: you are so blessed to have a solid base of operations, so use this blessing to bless others!
Extend a hand. Be inclusive. Get up from your comfortable table at lunchtime and sit next to someone unfamiliar. Embrace the soul who is searching for belonging in their new home or circumstance. Who knows where this kindness might lead? And you will both be better for it. And then one day, you’ll realize that the tables have turned, and YOU are the new person, and you will remember the kindness you showed and be confident that God is sending someone to welcome you into the new place that you have been lead.
Jeremiah 29:7
…seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers you too will prosper.