“When this particular seed of the Chinese Bamboo tree is planted, watered and nurtured, for years it doesn’t outwardly grow as much as an inch. Nothing happens for the first year. There’s no sign of growth. Not even a hint. The same thing happens – or doesn’t happen – the second year. And then the third year. The tree is carefully watered and fertilized each year, but nothing shows. No growth. No anything. So it goes as the sun rises and sets for four solid years. The farmer and his wife have nothing tangible to show for this labor or effort. Then, along comes year five. After five years of fertilizing and watering have passed, with nothing to show for it – the bamboo tree suddenly sprouts and grows eighty feet in just SIX WEEKS!
Did the little tree lie dormant for four years only to grow exponentially in the fifth? Or, was the little tree growing underground, developing a root system strong enough to support its potential for outward growth in the fifth year and beyond? The answer is, of course, obvious. Had the tree not developed a strong unseen foundation it could not have sustained its life as it grew.”
Recently I have been thinking why it took so long for my breakthrough to come. The imagery of a bamboo comes into mind. It has to grow roots, deep into the ground before it manifests above ground. The bamboo will grow to be the tallest of all plants so it needs a deep and comprehensive root system else it will not withstand the elements in future. Whatever I have experienced was all necessary as part of His training plan.
Anything that is worth having is worth fighting for and worth persevering for. Proverbs say that where there is no vision, the people perish. Vision not only gives meaning and understanding of one's purpose in life, it also gives you wisdom about how to bring it to pass. Vision gives understanding and reveals meaning to the trials you may experience at any given time. God imparts to you a revelation of His plans for your life. That is how vision begins. Then in some cases, God confirms that word through a prophecy given to you by another man or woman of God.
When God gives you a vision, it's always too great and complex for you in your own power and ability to bring about. Zechariah 4:6 says 'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit.' God calls those things that are not as though they are. He calls you, in the present, what you are going to be in the future and then makes you prove His word to be true. Sometimes when you are in the sowing and plowing seasons, it is easy to get discouraged, seeing that nothing has changed. You may be doing mundane and insignificant things which you think no one cares. But God said if you are faithful in the small things, He will promote you when due season comes. Zechariah 4:10 also says 'Do not despise the day of small beginnings.'
I also came across this verse in Job 8:7 'Though your beginning was small, yet your latter end would increase abundantly.' Somehow I guess this story reminded me of my humble beginnings of starting this blog and those years of writing even though I wasn't sure if it made an impact on people's lives. But now that I have crossed the five-year mark, I am starting to see how God opened doors for this ministry. It's now harvest time and I am enjoying the fruits of my labor. I truly believe that God will catapult me and bring me to where I couldn't go. Hence I thank God in advance for making a way for me.
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