"But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance "(Gen. 45:7 NIV).
The year was 2003. I had recently moved to the Turks and Caicos Islands to work as a Missioner/Pastor. I was reading a copying of Our Daily Bread devotional with the heading “Bloom Where You Are Planted” (March 20, 2002). Those words grabbed my attention, and right there and then I knew that God was telling me something. Those words are now posted on my office wall.
Long before “Bloom where you are planted” became fashionable for motivational speeches and wall plagues, Joseph had this principle well packed down in his life. Despite being sold into slavery and the subsequent injustice of imprisonment, he did not complain but did his best to make a difference in his circumstances. In both Potiphar’s house and in prison he worked so well that he was given more responsibility. Potiphar was impressed with his attitude and approach to his work that he placed him in charge of the household affairs, and even when he was falsely placed into prison for a crime he did not commit, that did not stop him. His demeanor caught the attention of the prison official and Joseph was placed in charge of the other prisoners. Talk about blooming where you find yourself.
This is not always an easy principle to follow since many of us find ourselves in situations and places we would not want to be caught dead in. With the uneventful twist of life we sometimes are placed in situations by compromise or compulsion for which we are not prepared. It could be a new job/assignment, marriage/divorce, relocation in a new neighbour or country, etc. However, this is not where you want to be and you never thought this would have happened to you. Unfortunately, there is not much you can do to change this right now, so what do you do? Do you spend the rest of your time and life complaining about what others have done to you? Do you use that time to scheme ways by which you can get even with persons? Do you wallow in self-pity, becoming depressed and just accept whatever life throws at you?
No, it does not have to be that way. Look around you and see what you can do to make a difference where you are. See what contribution you can make in your new situation and do it. I am a firm believer that God places us at difference places and situations for a reason sometimes unknown to us. Years later Joseph was able to say to his brothers ‘don’t be angry with yourself, God send me here to preserve life.’ No doubt neither Joseph nor his brothers thought he would have risen to the position that he did; but had he not become a slave and an inmate, he would not have been in the position to interpret the Pharaoh’s dream. That act placed him in the second highest position in the land and that did not stop him from blooming. His wisdom and organization skills not only saved the lives of those in Egypt but those from neighbouring nations as well. Joseph understood that everything in his life was an act of God, all part of His plan.
Our responsibility is to trust Him and rely completely on His care and mercy and leave the results to Him. Once you know what place God has in your life, then your future is completely secure. Your responsibility is to just bloom where you are planted.
