On Growing Up.

Growth.

The spring winds blow, and like a shower whirly seeds spiral down from their places high up in the branches of the Maple tree. They fall on the road, the roof, and the soil. Soon the spring showers follow, gentle and long. The whirly seeds are torn and battered, they begin to rot away, but from within them springs forth growth. No, not the day they fell, not while the seeds were being scattered, but after they were watered and the seed’s shell itself broke and gave way to the growth that was occurring within.

We have much in common with these little seeds, yet we have one advantage over them—we can come to the water source ourselves and ask for him to Grow us, water us and tend us.

However, we must be aware that growth requires brokenness first—a casting off of masks, a surrendering of our battle stance, an acknowledgment of our inability to do it on our own. Sometimes it takes a good long look in the mirror, to realize our incompleteness. The simple truth is, if nothing changes…nothing will change. We have to be broken in order to grow, in order to be made whole.

I have often prayed the prayer, asking for God to grow me so that I produce the fruit of the spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). You know how we grow in those things? By being tested in those areas. If I ask for more patience, my patience will be tested so that I may grow in patience. If I ask for joy, I will be challenged to find joy in the midst of gloom. Joy is easy when all in life is well, it’s when the clouds roll in that you learn if you have the fruit of joy.

Just as the whirly Maple seed did not bring forth life the moment it fell, so our growth may be slow. God is gracious enough to bear with us, loving us, tending us, as we have to be broken time after time (often because of things of our own doing) because we have failed to learn the lesson we need to learn in order to grow and eventually bear fruit.

Some plants, once sprouted grow faster than others. Did you know that some varieties of bamboo can grow approximately a meter a day? Also, were you aware that the Saguaro Cactus can take up to upward from 40-75 years to mature enough to have it’s first branch or produce it’s first bud? Do you know what determines this rate? It largely depends on the precipitation the plant receives as it grows.

What hope, then can we find in this, while we go through a storm of chaos in order to become peaceful? We can know that God doesn’t give up on us, and that he is with us, let him water you, let him give your broken spirit birth to good fruit.