It’s not your time…. yet! However, despite what might seem like a delay, you will bloom in your season.
During the past couple of years, gardening has become my emotional catharsis. I have found that the outdoor activity not only refreshes my soul, but the process has also taught me many valuable life lessons. I’ll share the story of my blue salvia plant, and hopefully it can encourage you to wait until you bloom in your season.
Last summer, I purchased the plant at one of the local nurseries. As soon as I entered the garden center, it immediately caught my attention. The multiple spikes of beautiful blue or violet flowers towered above its lush green foliage and created the perfect contrast. Not only is blue salvia a beautiful ornamental plant, it is also hardy. In my plant zone, blue salvias are classified as perennial, which means that they will live for more than two years (some sources say three). That was perfect for me. I wasn’t really interested in purchasing a bunch of plants that would die at the end of the season. Also, I wanted something that I could nurture and, hopefully, develop my green thumb.
I couldn’t wait to plant my new edition. As soon as I got home, I placed my blue salvia in the ground as directed. It was beautiful. I was quite proud and hopeful. However, after a few weeks, all the flowers had fallen and so had many of the leaves. I felt disappointment set in.
For months, I did all that I could think of, including watching YouTube gardening videos and providing mulch along with the recommended water and fertilizer. Unfortunately, nothing changed. My poor plant remained fragile and weak. To make matters worse, some of the branches had even become sparse and twiggy. During the next few months, my blue salvia had become so unsightly that my mother, during one of her visits, decided to prune the dried stems. I must confess, I was initially leery, but the plant responded well. But although the foliage became more dense, the plant still didn’t flower. For the rest of the year, it did not produce a single flower.
Throughout the fall and most of the winter, I continued to care for my plant. During that time, it was green and lush, but there was still no flower—that is, until a few weeks ago. One day, out of the blue, I noticed a tiny, violet bud nestled in the foliage. At first, I questioned whether the solitary shoot was a one-off. Nonetheless, even though my hope was guarded, my heart smiled. Delightfully, a few days later, I noticed that a few more buds had blossomed and that the initial bloom had grown further. It was at that moment that I had the epiphany that I am about to share with you!
When it is your time, you will bloom! Only then will you bloom!
Nothing I did accelerated my blue salvia’s blooming season. No amount of water or fertilizer could force it to flower. It only blossomed during the established season. The care and nourishment that I provided during the growing period only sustained the plant and helped it to remain healthy, but it didn’t cause it to flower. The same is true in your life. When it is your time, you will bloom!
If you are planted and you still have not blossomed, it simply means that your time has not yet arrived. Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up, (New International Bible, 1978/2011).
As you await your blooming season, remain hopeful. Additionally, do not fall prey to the condemnation of over-spiritualized people who may say that your “delay” is due to some fault, sin, or ineptitude. Yes, there are times when humans err, but there are also times when there is no blame to be laid. Sometimes your lack of bloom simply means that your season has not yet arrived.
As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. 2 “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?”
3 “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him, (John 9:1-3, New International Bible, 1978/2011).
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Biblical Reference
New International Bible. (2011). The NIV Bible. https://www.thenivbible.com (Original work published 1978)