Blooming is important, but blooming when unexpected is even more impactful and potentially transformative!
Recently I walked out on the patio to water our plants, including a Thanksgiving cactus plant. Unlike most cacti which bloom in spring or summer, this plant—as you might guess from its name—decides to bloom in late fall/early winter. That quality of being somewhat out-of-season has always been appealing to me. I expect that won’t surprise anyone who knows me!
As I glanced into the back corner I was totally blown away! This Thanksgiving cacti was in total bloom in the middle of June, proudly displaying at least four times the number of blossoms I have ever witnessed on this plant!
I immediately went to get my lady who is much more into flowering plants than I am. Unfortunately, I wasn’t prepared to take a photo of Rita when she first saw the plant. Not only her face, but her whole body reflected a transformative state which I’m at a loss to put into words! Within seconds, my lady of 53 years went from patiently waiting for her first cup of coffee to total illumination! And I was gifted with witnessing that event!!!
I can share with all of you the picture of the plant that morning but, trust me, that picture of Rita, which I couldn’t capture with my cell phone, was automatically taken by my 78-year-old instamatic and permanently stored on my hard drive! (The hard drive storage option is included if you have been given a “hard head”!)
I have come to believe that striving to show up and “bloom” when and where we are expected to is absolutely critical in every relationship and community we are part of. However, I am also rapidly embracing the concept that “blooming” when it is least expected has a transformative potential and power for all parties involved in any way that can far exceed our understanding or expectations! I realize that’s a big statement, but I’m sticking to it and totally owning it! This is extremely fertile soil for our Sneaky God to plant unexpected transformative seeds. We need those seeds now more than ever!
I’ve certainly felt the power of unexpected blooming in my own life. For instance, Rita and I not only felt, but actually continue to feel the repercussions of an “unexpected blooming” action from several years ago. A close friend introduced Rita to a woman who had recently moved into the area from the West Coast. This woman, Sally, is an amazing pianist and to experience her embracing her grand piano is a gift. She also chose to share her talent through teaching other folks how to master her favorite musical instrument.
Rita learned to play as a child but for several reasons seldom had or took time to pursue that early interest. Soon after being introduced, they met for breakfast and Rita mentioned that since retiring she was considering purchasing an electric keyboard to revisit and hopefully reclaim her joy in playing!
With no forethought Sally announced she would like to gift Rita with her electronic keyboard! While she was teaching, she had purchased an expensive electronic keyboard for her students, but after she stopped teaching she seldom used the keyboard. That degree of spontaneous giving, “unexpected blooming”, caught Rita off guard. She responded by saying that she couldn’t consider accepting such an amazing instrument unless she could pay for it! Sally explained this had nothing to do with money but she wanted to gift it to her, end of discussion!
It’s amazing how that spontaneous gift has continued to bless us again and again over the years! We could never have fit a piano of any size in our new apartment when we moved to our over-55 community, but the keyboard was perfect! Then, several months ago when Rita began losing movement in her right hand due to the progression of the MS, she began physical therapy yet again. In addition to all the exercises she has been given to do on a daily basis, guess what has driven her progress the most? Yep, playing her gifted keyboard! Her physical therapist has tested and confirmed that she is making progress in regaining both muscle and control in her right hand! In the evening before I hit the sack, I check in on her as she plays with her earphones on, I can actually experience her smiling from behind! That’s healing for me as well at yet another level!
As I have witnessed the power of unexpected blooming from the receiving end, I have been filled with increasing motivation, anticipation and excitement to live it out in my interactions with others even though it can be an emotional risk. I have always been a risk taker; after all, I was extremely excited to learn fire eating while traveling with the circus! But even for me, there are barriers that limit my ability to be more spontaneous and even when I am consciously looking for them, I don’t always take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves to me!
Just the other day, Rita and I were running about 10 minutes behind schedule (unfortunately, not unusual!) on our way to church. As I rounded the corner unto Chesapeake Street, I noticed an elderly gentleman with a cane and holding a cardboard sign with “WALMART” printed in large letters. The thought flashed across my mind to stop but since we were already running late I kept moving. 
Once we arrived at church and settled in to enjoy the amazing meditative music, I began to reflect on what just happened. I “couldn’t” stop and take this senior gentleman to Walmart because I would be even later in joining our faith community! Something—actually a lot—seemed out of focus with the picture that was coming together before me! Once again, I got my priorities out of order! I clearly missed a golden opportunity to bloom unexpectedly! I made a commitment to myself to make this a learning experience. Next time I will stop, invite him to church and then to Walmart or, if he prefers, take him directly to Walmart and then join our faith community a bit later. I expect our Sneaky God is excited that I was able to turn this into a learning opportunity.
As I revisited the examples I shared here, other missed opportunities from the past surfaced and once again I attempted to identify what is hindering me from becoming more spontaneous and “blooming unexpectedly” in my response to the folks and opportunities I experience each day. Is it sometimes a fear of what others may think? Busyness or getting caught in routines or expectations? Is it possible that the childhood messages of “hang on to everything; you never know when you’ll need it” hold me back from being more generous in my spontaneous giving? What if what I was told and accepted as security is actually just the opposite: insecurity? Wow! That would be a major game changer for me!
I expect what stands in the way of us identifying and responding to these frequent Unexpected Blooming Opportunities will differ for each of us. Today’s questions hopefully will help you identify yours!
QUESTIONS FOR DEEPENING THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
- Can you remember a time when you received a gift (material or not) that was completely unexpected? How did it affect you differently than an expected one?
- Can you identify occasions in the past when you were an “Unexpected Bloomer”?
- If so, how did that experience impact you? If it involved another person are you aware how it affected them?
- If you aren’t able to identify a specific time when you were an “Unexpected Bloomer” do you think that you don’t identify those opportunities or you were able to but consciously or unconsciously choose not to act?
- Are you willing and able to identify what may have blocked you from identifying and/or responding?
- Do you believe responding to these questions or challenges is worth the effort?
CHALLENGE: Be an “Unexpected Bloomer” at least one time this week, then write down your reactions.
