The Bamboo Tree

Planting the seed
Tending the soil
Every day
Not missing one.

Sun shining
Rays of hope
Eyes see nothing
Expectancy continues

Crying my tears
Watering the soil
Watching, waiting,
Persevering, persisting

Not giving up
Holding on by faith
Though nothing appears
To others seems bleak

Beneath deep roots grow
Creating structure
Building strength
Preparing the ground

Then all of a sudden
Before my very eyes
Ground breaks
New life appears

Rapidly
Swiftly
Spreading
Up, up, up it grows

Do you know much about the Bamboo tree? I just heard about it’s growing process yesterday and was so inspired by it.

Once planted, it takes five years for a Bamboo tree to sprout from the ground and give evidence of life. For those five silent years, it seems as if nothing is happening. It must be watered daily in order to see growth. If a day is missed, it will not grow. Once it grows though, it does so at a rapid rate. The Moso Bamboo tree grows about 3 feet over 24 hours, reaching 90 feet in six weeks ( the size of a 9 story office building). During these seemingly fruitless years, the Bamboo tree is developing the required roots and the strength to support the height and width of it’s explosive growth (Information taken from here).

I can look at this story for a number of different things in my life and be encouraged by it. Yesterday though, it encouraged me concerning life purpose and work. As a Christian, I believe that my life means so much more than just the cycle it goes through biologically – birth, growth, reproduction, death. It’s much more than just physical and existing within the measure of time and space.

I sense that I have been going through a time of waiting. I’ve been planted, watered and have been growing strong roots that run deep, in preparation for whatever is next. Without this time of preparation, I would not be able to handle all that God has for me.

How about you? Can you relate the story of the Bamboo tree to your life at all? Have you been longing to see fruit in some area? Have you persisted and persevered in order to see growth in your life? If so, how?