Grow Where You’re Planted: Finding Strength Through Life’s Hard Soil

When Life Feels Like Hard Soil

Several years ago, I planted some basil seeds in a small pot beside my kitchen sink. The instructions said to soak the peat pod in water, unwrap it, and crumble it into the container. It even came with a little wick that drew water from the bottom reservoir so the plant would never go thirsty. Everything about this setup was designed for success: perfect soil, perfect water levels, and perfect light.

When it came time to plant the seeds, I followed the directions carefully and dropped six tiny seeds into the soil. I waited patiently, checking each day for any sign of life. After a few days, one little sprout popped up, and I was thrilled! But after another week, no more appeared. Out of six seeds, only one had taken root and begun to grow.

It made me think of the parable Jesus told in Matthew 13:1-9 about the farmer who sowed seeds, some fell on rocky ground, some among thorns, and some on good soil. Only the seeds that fell on good soil produced a bountiful harvest.

Matthew 13:1-9 (NIV)
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. ² Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. ³ Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

But what happens when all the seeds have the same soil, the same sunshine, and the same care, yet only one grows?

Lessons from a Little Coleus

Around that same time, I had some beautiful Coleus plants on my back porch. They thrived one summer, but the next year I decided to switch things up and only used ferns. Then one day, I noticed something unexpected: a single Coleus plant had sprouted in a tiny crack between the patio and the wall.

It had survived the brutal summer sun, torrential rains, and even our power washer! Somehow, that seed had blown into a crack with hardly any soil, and yet it grew. I carefully dug it out and gave it a new home beside my sink, right next to the basil plant.

The difference between those two plants was striking. The basil had every advantage, yet only one seed grew. The Coleus had every obstacle, yet it flourished.

Circumstances Don’t Define You

That little Coleus reminded me that the same environment can break one person and make another stronger. Life has a way of putting us under pressure, but just like pressure can crush a rock or make a diamond, the result depends on how we respond.

You might be facing circumstances that feel impossible, health challenges, financial struggles, loneliness, or a sense of inadequacy. You might even feel, like Moses did in Exodus 4:10, that you’re unqualified or unprepared:

Exodus 4:10 (NIV)
¹⁰ Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” 

I can sympathize with Moses. There are more times than not when I feel horribly unqualified to do my Sunday posts. I am not a Bible Scholar, I have never studied in Sematary School, I am not a writer, and I am a sinner.

Exodus 4:11-13 (NIV)
¹¹ The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? ¹² Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

You don’t have to have perfect conditions to grow. You just have to let God work through you, right where you are.

 Grow Where You’re Planted

The Lord doesn’t care whether you’ve fallen on rocky soil or in a deep, rich garden bed. He can use you anywhere, in any season. Our job isn’t to question where we’ve been planted; it’s to grow anyway.

So if life feels hard, remember the Coleus in the crack. You might be that one seed that blooms where others couldn’t.

To God Goes The Glory!

Have a Blessed Day!

Let’s End With a Prayer

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for reminding us that You can bring growth out of any circumstance. Help us to trust You even when the soil feels dry or the conditions seem harsh. Teach us to be steadfast, to keep reaching for Your light, and to remember that our strength comes from You. Use our lives to bear fruit that glorifies You, no matter where we are planted.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.