The roses in the corner of our church’s yard have bloomed. We have the same type in our front garden at home. They bloom over and over again from April until December or so. Even the long-stemmed roses next to our front porch bloom over and over again. They are beautiful and without fail bring me delight every time they bloom. They add value to my environment by bringing contrast of color.

The gardenia bushes along the church’s driveway have not bloomed yet. We had (and maybe still have?) one of those in our backyard. It typically blooms just once a year, in May or June. It is very fragrant, and again, always delights me, even if only for a short time.

All these blooming perennials have made me think about our lives and how we bloom. We bloom over and over as humans, just as perennials do. And yet, we do have a time to stop blooming, making us quite like annuals.

As humans, we can bloom in different places and different areas and for different people and different types of people. Flowers are generally confined to bloom in one place, unless they are uprooted and replanted somewhere else. If that happens, then wherever they’ve been replanted is who and where they are assigned to bloom for and bring value to.

It’s the same with us. We bloom where we are, for whom we are to bloom for and add value to. And we bloom and bloom again and again until our time for blooming is over.

We are not meant to bloom once in life. We are meant to bloom again and again adding value again and again to whomever we can add value to. And to whatever environment we can add value to.

God, help me to bloom right where I am and in my seasons. Help me to be happy to bloom where I am and to add value to my seasons and environments. Amen.