There's something so stunning about the growth process. This morning was a slow, easy Saturday morning. Unsure of whether or not it was going to rain, I decided it looked like it would be a clear sunny day so I started watering my garden. If it looked like like it would rain, I would save the water and the energy. As I write this 6 hours after my carefuld decision, it is STORMING like crazy outside. I am so happy for my plants (and me!) because I didn't finish watering this morning, planning to finish up this afternoon. You just never know here! But I digress.
So, as I watered, I also surveyed the growth in my garden. Surveying growth has become one of my new favorite activities. It makes me think about what the ideal environment for growth in various areas is and how I can best support it inside myself and in people and things around me.. In my garden, water is an essential part of growth, as is soil quality, sun, effective pest and weed control, and trimming dead flowers/branches. . . Am I missing anything? However, as I write this I realized that if I do all of my gardening activities but don't see growth, it's useless. Much activity and no growth or progress is useless. That merits repeating: much activity and no growth is useless. Lord, I don't want my time here to be a bunch of uselessness.
On June 3rd, I will have been here in Benin a month. Recently I've been inspired to take stock of my activities and become a WHOLE lot more prayerful about what I do in my spare time. While it's been so much fun exploring the city and getting to know people, I'm coming to the realization that I need to be conscious about investing my time, not just spending it in activities. And to do all with the ultimate goal of growth in mind. I am confident God has a plan for my time here in Benin. Pure focus is a large part of that plan. What He wants to do through my relationships and work is intricately tied to what He is teaching me and doing in my mind, heart and spirit. And the end goal? Growth. That's a book right there. How does God define growth?
Another thing I thought about as I surveyed my garden was its past. It is evident in the way that some things grow that they've been through some hard times. Not all growth is optimal. It was clear some plants were stunted or thwarted in their growth due to neglect and lack of nourishment. Wishbone tree is a prime example of this. It's growing like crazy now but it's clear it used to be down-and-out.
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| Wishbone exactly 2 weeks ago. |
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| Today's pic of wishbone tree. |
Simone, this is a great post. And it's interesting you mentioned water, as I was thinking on this today as I watered my plants. I add this: Too much water can also kill the plant. It can cause rotting in the roots. Let this one sink in a little bit...it's good.
ReplyDeleteThink about people. Actually, think about the Body of believers. Drinking in, soaking in, consuming in nourishment. But if you never share/ give/ pour out/ breathe out...you rot. We are not made to just consume. Too much of something, even a good something, can have adverse effects. Our beautiful Father reminds me now, as I type, one can be so Kingdom minded that they are of no earthly good. There are those in the Body that prefer to sit in church buildings, conferences, Jesus circles consuming and growing fat from the Word. But there must be balance to all things. Just like you water your plant and it receives sunshine in healthy proportion, too much or too little can rot the plant or starve it. A believer who is not pouring into others and stretching out in their faith is a rotting Christian. We must be willing to go into dark places--challenging places--where our lives are the only light others see. All that has been poured into us, eventually must be poured out to others, or we rot. We suffocate under out own grandeur and illusion of "holy-ness". How pitiful the Christian who thinks he is achieving God's purposes by confining themselves to four walls and rhetoric. How pitiful the Christian that sits comfortably in their religiousity while condemning the broken soul. How pitiful the believer who exalts his relationship with God and is not willing to sacrifice himself so that another may revel in the same union. We must go--forward into the uttermost parts of the world. We must be dew. :-)
I'm sure you've touched many lives already not realizing it. As long as you're connected to Jesus you'll bear much fruit. That's what he's called you to do.
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