No Experience is Wasted: Bloom Where You Are Planted

I landed my dream job at 23, but I didn’t fully understand then what it meant to “bloom where you are planted.”

Helping people at my church find hope and belonging while working behind the scenes with data and systems? It checked all my boxes—especially for this quiet, admin-loving, purpose-driven girl.

But even dream jobs come with hard days.
Days I wanted to quit.
Days I felt bored or stuck.
Days that turned into years of doing the same thing over and over. That’s when I started learning what it really means to bloom where you are planted—not just thrive, but grow in grit, grace, and hidden purpose.

🌿 Grow Where You’re Planted (Even If You Feel Stuck)

There were seasons I didn’t feel like I was blooming.

I felt buried. Unnoticed. Comfortable behind the scenes while others were out front doing the “big” things.
And while that felt safe, I began to long for more.
More growth, more challenge, more impact.

That’s when God gently reminded me: growth doesn’t always look like vibrant foliage. Sometimes it’s root work. Character work. Quiet, steady obedience.

One verse that grounded me in those in-between seasons was Jeremiah 17:7–8:

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

What a picture of resilience and rootedness.

Even when nothing looked fruitful on the outside, I was still growing.
Even when the “heat” of life turned up, my source didn’t dry up.

That image of being planted by a stream helped me shift my perspective during mundane seasons. Instead of pushing for the next project, I began to lean into what God was doing in and through me right where I was.

On the hard days.
In the stretching seasons.
Through small acts of underrated faithfulness.

Because when you’re rooted in Christ, you can bloom anywhere—even in places that feel like wilderness.

 

🌼 The Promise: Nothing Is Wasted

Some days, the only thing that kept me going was the quiet knowing that none of it was wasted.

Not the unglamorous work.
Not the tasks that didn’t feel like “my calling.”
Not the waiting.

God was using it all.

Every spreadsheet. Every email. Every pastor that resigned. Every person who walked through our doors seeking belonging. Even every season of burnout.

Over time, I could see how I was changing. Becoming.

That awareness came into full view as I started writing Dare to Decide. I began tracing my crossroads moments—those defining decisions that often came during seasons of waiting or wilderness. I was in awe: God had been showing me how to bloom where I was planted all along.

Again and again, I saw the pattern:
→ Make the most of where you are
→ Let it grow you
→ Step into the next season with courage and intention

Here’s how faithfulness in “waiting places” prepared me for that growth:

 

🌸 1. I Gained Clarity of Purpose Behind the Tasks

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit…”
– John 15:5

➡️ Fruitfulness flows from connection with Christ—and seeing people the way He does.

• I didn’t just manage databases—I cared about the people behind the names.

• I didn’t just build systems—I made it easier for people to feel seen and supported.

🌻 2. I Grew as a Leader

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” – Galatians 5:22–23

➡️ Spiritual fruit is cultivated through abiding, not striving.

• Watching imperfect leaders lead with boldness and grace shaped my own courage.

• Responding to criticism (and the occasional bridezilla!) helped me develop grace under pressure.

• Understanding our mission meant making tough calls—even when it cost something.

🌺 3. I Learned to Live with Balance

“…live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work…” – Colossians 1:10

➡️ Your everyday faithfulness can also mean taking care of yourself instead of accomplishing more word.

• Burnout taught me boundaries.

• I stopped thinking self-care was selfish and started seeing it as obedience.

• I learned to say yes and no in ways that reflected both calling and capacity.

🌷 4. I Matured in Character

“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” – James 1:4

➡️ God uses every season to refine your character for greater impact.

• When my marriage fell apart, I was met with compassion—and that reshaped how I walked with others.

• Facilitating groups taught me how to listen with presence and ask brave questions.

• Watching God do the unexpected with my God-dreams grew my faith more than control ever could.

 

🌱 Your Turn: Bloom Where You Are Planted

It’s all connected.

That messy season?
That boring job?
That path you thought was a detour?

No experience is wasted.
It’s shaping you for what’s next.
It’s preparing you for the calling God has placed on your heart.

Whether you’re a teacher, writer, stay-at-home parent, ministry leader, entrepreneur—or still figuring it out—God is already equipping you. And He can use this very moment to grow the “more” He’s planting in your life.

So if you feel behind, off-track, or ready to give up…

Maybe this is your invitation to pause and ask:

💭 How has this season shaped me? What is it preparing me for?

Start your own No Experience Wasted list.
You might be surprised what blooms when you take the time to name it.

Because you’re not just waiting—you’re becoming.
You’ve got it in you.

Bloom where you are planted. God’s not done. 🌿

 

📘 Want Help Naming or Nurturing What’s Blooming?

If you’re not sure where or how you’ve been growing, the “Part 4: The Compass” section inside Dare to Decide includes the Purpose Blossom model, designed to help you see what God has already been cultivating in your story.

You’ll discover hidden strengths, redeemed experiences, and fresh clarity about the path you’re being invited to step into.

👉 Order your copy of Dare to Decide and explore your Purpose Blossom today.

More posts you might like:

Why Are Decisions So Hard? What To Do When Stuck at a Crossroads

Turn Your Life Experience into a Memoir

Empowering Authors: Overcoming Vulnerability vs Victim Mindset