by Darcia Kunkel

Bloom Where You Are Planted

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.”
Psalm 32:8, New Revised Standard Version

This wooden plaque lives near our front door. It lists every duty station my husband and I were assigned to from the time we got married until he retired from the military.

Each bar highlights the years at each Army base, and significant events that occurred while we lived there. Items such as the birth of a child, military schools, training, unit commands, deployments, and even the dogs we had at the time are represented by little wooden pieces or painted abbreviations.

Ascribed at the top is the phrase “Home is Where the Army Sends Us.”  We added to the journey as we traveled through my husband’s military career. It is one of my most unique and treasured wall hangings.

It seems cliche to say, but in the military, spouses were always told to “Bloom where you are planted.” Essentially, make the most of where you were stationed, even if only for a year. You find friends, explore what the areas have to offer, and embrace the experiences that come your way…even if it is a combat deployment.

I often reminisce about certain times in my life when I didn’t want to be where the Army sent me, but then I think maybe it is where God sent me. In the thick of a tough time, it was hard for me to see the blossoming or the roots. I would research as much as I could before going to the next assignment, dive in head first into the community, begin to slowly retreat as the next orders came through, and begin the cycle all over again.

No matter what situation you are in, or where God sends you, trust that he will show you the way…maybe not while in the weeds of it all, but eventually you will see how you grew, thrived, and bloomed!

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado