Friday, August 13, 2010

Yanked Out! (And living to tell about it)


"And we pray this in order that
you may live a life worthy of the Lord
and may please him in every way;
bearing fruit in every good work,
growing in the knowledge of God,..."
1 Colossians 1:10

      They were volunteers, growing in the wrong place, so I had to pull them out. They were capable of producing fruit, but would have prevented the other plants from having room to grow. It was hard for me to remove them because I love plants, but these tomato seedlings decided on their own to grow in a spot in the garden that was designed for other plants.

      This reminded me of a time when I planted myself in a place God hadn't planned for me to grow. I volunteered for something I had no business doing. I took up space intended for someone else; someone God had gifted for that area of service. I even produced fruit occasionally, but it never really ripened, and my own growth was somewhat stunted. I was attempting to do a job God had not planned for me (if I had bothered to ask Him, He would have told me so) - it was not my job, and He was not going to bless it. As a matter-of-fact, He yanked me out!

      When God pulled me from that place it was like He stuck me in a pot and sat me aside. As soon as it dawned on me what had happened and I started praying for His will in my life, He took me to the spot He planned for me to grow and transplanted me there. It wasn't a place where I pushed others out as I grew, there was plenty of room, and those growing in the same plot of ground grew happily along side me. We shaded one another in the heat of the day, and grew close enough to lean on each other when the wind blew, but not crowd each other out.

      God had given me a second chance. And with that in mind, I stuck my little volunteers in a pot of soil and gave them a drink of water. If they survive the shock of being uprooted, I'll transplant them somewhere else. A place where they can grow and produce fruit.

      I think it's good to ask occasionally, "Am I growing where He planted me, or have I volunteered in someone else's place?" He's gifted each one of us and planned a special job for us to do, and He knows exactly where He wants us to do it. It's always better to get direction from Him, than to find ourselves minding someone else's business and feeling the tug of His hand as He yankes us out!

12 comments:

  1. What a great way of illustrating such an excellent point! I have a very hard time saying no, but praise God He provided us good training in our spiritual gifts at my old church and that has helped tremendously. Thank you for a lovely Spiritual Sunday post :)

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  2. Great analogy! Have a happy Spiritual Sunday.

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  3. It’s so hard for me to pull out "volunteers" because I love plants too, but you’re right that if they’re not designed for the spot, they need to be yanked out. A great analogy you’ve made here. Thank God for second chances.

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  4. I love the way you used your stories to make your point across.
    Great post....like it a lot.
    Sweet blessings,
    Virginia

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  5. Love the analogy here....Thank you for sharing this with us...God bless.

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  6. Your words are beautifully written with a message full of truth! I've been there.

    So glad that I visited you from Spiritual Sunday's link list.

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  7. I want to be where He plants me...I love this post...

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  8. What a good point this post makes. It is so important to let God use us in whatever way He knows is best for us. Thank you for sharing this great example.
    Blessings,
    Charlotte

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  9. This is such a great post today. I often wonder if I need to be transplanted! Thank-you for sharing this wonderful analogy.
    Blessings,
    Ginger

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  10. This was an absolutely perfect analogy! I know I have been a "volunteer" in the wrong spot too.

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  11. great post! Something to think about for sure!
    Carrie

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  12. I loved your post. I have the privilege of standing by the door of our churh sanctuary because I take attendance. My church family is a very hugging family. I find I need those hugs very much and I love giving hugs because if it fulfills my needs I know it does for others too. I also have the privilege of knowing who hasn't been there in awhile and the times I reach out to them (which I admit isn't often enough) helps both the giver and the receiver. Thank you for reminding us to love others as God loves us.

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