The Purposeful Life of a Carrot

As we approach summer, plants are nestled into the dark soil, seeds are pushed deep below the surface and pesky weeds are plucked & tossed.  Similar to this process, we were placed by God's design into the sphere {garden} of influence we now occupy.

As followers of Christ we want to flourish and we want to grow.  Unfortunately there are times when along with the good seeds there are some seeds of dissatisfaction that get dropped.  We begin to see that the tomatoes have a trellis to climb or that the strawberries can fan out over the ground and here we {I} am just a carrot who gets to pop my little green sprout up just in time to be plucked from the earth.

Often these seeds of dissatisfaction can almost look like good things.  The fact that I am unmarried when I desire to be married.  To be joined to another person so that life can be lived together, challenge each other, spur each other on.  The fact that I do not have children and desire to have a houseful of mini-me's running around growing up together and pouring my life into their growth.  For years I would wonder when I was going to be "ready" for these next steps.  When was God going to grant me the desires of my heart.

AHH...did you catch how that last sentence was phrased?
The desires of MY heart...not HIS.

Can the carrot really decide to become a tomato out of sheer will?  

Can the plant really tell the planter where to be planted?  

Even though I have dreams or a plans on what I think my life is supposed to look like does not mean it is according to HIS will for me.  I may think I want to be a tomato climbing up the trellis when God knows that my personality and temperament are more suited to be a carrot.  

After all, He does know me more intimately than I know myself...since He created me. 

Once I began to fully understand what being a carrot meant, I began to see the benefits.  Though a carrot may seem to be a lone vegetable, they are often connected with others through their use.  I can be added to a wonderful salad, used as a shovel for hummus, or be shredded into delicious carrot cake.  I can enjoy the benefits of being a carrot or complain because I think I need to be a tomato, and who would want tomato cake?!  

Over the past few years I see how God has grown me {and continues to grow me} in this area.  Through purposeful involvement I am fulfilled.  I am joined by people around me with whom we live life together.  I am surrounded by other people's mini-me's to watch over them and help nourish their growth. Though my growth and journey continues...so does theirs and together we learn what God has in store...individually and together....just as we are planted in the same garden but fulfilling different roles.  Ah, the joy of resting in God's will and placement.

So, do you know what kind of vegetable you are?
Are you content to flourish where God has planted you or are you striving to jump the fence to the other garden?