Bloom Where You're Planted

   

                

How many of you have felt trapped by your circumstances? I know that there have been times where I felt trapped. Sometimes life seems unfair and it is. At times it seems like some people have had a perfect life since birth and others were put in the midst of chaos and dysfunction. However true or untrue that may be, we can bloom where we are planted.

This blog is in no way to be any type of personal pity party, the purpose of sharing personal experiences is to help others in difficult circumstances know that they can be what they want to be.
Growing up I had a lot of influences pulling me in different directions. I was born out of wedlock to young parents that were trying to figure things out. Was that a rocky start to my life? Sure. Did alcohol and substance abuse negatively effect my family? Yes, but I don't condemn my parents, because they had their own trials and shoes to walk in, but yes their decisions made my childhood harder. Much of my childhood was surrounded by things of the world. From a young age I knew that I wanted different. God placed my step grandparents into my life just in time for me to see that there was some better way of life. Before my 8th birthday I had realized that the thing that set their life apart from the rest of my family was the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. They lived it. Another thing that I was able to recognize as a child was the importance of school.

God blessed me with the ability to see things on a bigger scale, I knew that if I did well in school and lived by the Lord's standards that my life would be different. To do this took a lot of work. It's so easy to fall into the ways of the world and all of it's temptations. It's easier not to do your homework than to do it. It's easier to go to sleep in or go to the movies on Sunday than attend church (especially at first).
This is one of Satan's deceptions, things appear to be easier in the moment, but in the end, life is so much harder. A little extra work in the present makes life so much easier in the long run!

There is a scripture that helped me hold my head up through trial and temptation 1Cor. 10:13 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
I know that God never gives us more than we can handle, so if you've been given a lot to go through, YOU are strong enough to bloom right where you are! God does not set us up to fail. God loves You. YOU can succeed! I know the restored gospel of Jesus Christ changes us from inside out! I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for each one of us and we can choose to wither away and let our circumstances stomp us or be used as a crutch or we can bloom where we are planted! What will you choose?