My friend got a new tree the other day – a Japanese Maple Tree to be exact. She showed me what a fully bloomed one looked like as we were driving one day and I now consider myself a trained biologist. Oh wait… that’s botanist? Anyway, the tree was beautiful and she now has a baby tree growing in her back yard.
I stopped by the other day and she was showing me that she had tied it to a post so it would grow straight up instead of bending over. She pointed out certain things she wanted to prune and I had absolutely no idea what she was talking about so she tried to explain again. As she talked, her eyes lit up with excitement and fervor. My heart was excited to see her so passionate about something. Just days before we were crying together over tragedy.
The tree is just a baby. For all my horticulture friends, am I allowed to call trees babies? I ask because my farmer friends don’t appreciate it when I point out they have baby cows instead of saying they have calfs. I’m an equal opportunity offender, so I just want to make sure I’m staying on course.
My friend was getting so excited talking about the tree, that she started to get impatient expressing her desire to see it fully grown now. She didn’t want to wait. She wanted to see the tree in its full beauty right that moment. But she couldn’t. Growth doesn’t work that way. She’s going to have to wait for that tree to grow to full capacity in the tree’s time – not hers.
Missing the Miracle in Waiting
I don’t know about you, but I find myself doing that in this gift called life all the time. I want immediate results. I want to see the fruit from my efforts today, not tomorrow. I want instant gratification. Waiting it hard. Waiting isn’t fun.
But what are we missing in the wait because we’re too focused on the outcome? What blessings are we missing out on because we just want to see the end result?
I would bet more than we could ever imagine.
What if? Just what if there are more miracles in the waiting than anywhere else? What if the waiting is where all the excitement actually happens? What if the waiting is where the most beautiful moments take place?
My friend must water the tree to keep it growing, at least for a while. She’s going to have to keep checking on it to make sure it’s getting enough sun where she’s planted it. If it doesn’t, she’ll have to dig it up and find another place to put it. She’ll have to prune it to get rid of the bad so she can keep the good. She’s invested in taking care of the tree because she knows what’s going to come at the end. She’s seen the beauty of a Japanese Maple Tree in its fullest and she knows if she takes care of it, she’ll have that too.
Sounds a lot like our lives, doesn’t it?
God longs to do that in our lives. He knows the end result for our lives before we do. He longs for us to grow up to be beautiful trees, firmly rooted in the ground. He actually says we, His children, will become Oaks of righteousness. That blows any Japanese Maple Tree out of the water!
God’s Patience in the Waiting
Before we become that Oak though, there’s the planting and the waiting and the watering, followed by more waiting. Oh, and don’t forget the pruning. Aren’t you grateful that God is as patient as He is with us? He doesn’t pace in front of us like my friend did with the tree, saying, “I want to see her grow up right now. Hurry up.” No, instead, He waits patiently for us as He offers us water and pruning. I’m so grateful He doesn’t lose His patience in the waiting.
If God is patient in the waiting, we too must be patient, otherwise we’ll miss out on the blessings He has for us. And many times, those blessings come in the midst of painful pruning. Sometimes God has to dig us up and put us somewhere else because we just aren’t growing where we were originally planted. Something keeps getting in the way, blocking the sun from shining on us. Without sunlight, trees can’t grow. They’ll wither up and die.
We will too. We’ll wither up and die in our addictions, sadness, anger, brokeness, unforgiveness, hatred, bitterness, despair, depression, etc. If we don’t let the sunlight get to those broken places in our souls, we’ll die spiritually before we ever die physically. That isn’t how God designed us. He designed us to be full of life, growing, flourishing, branching out in every way, showing the beauty of His creation.
[ctt template=”3″ link=”Vwh61″ via=”yes” ]Freedom is in the waiting, and freedom doesn’t happen without digging, watering, and pruning. [/ctt]
When the Pruning Happens
Sometimes God has to cut off some branches of the tree because they’re preventing the other branches from flourishing. God wants to cut off every branch of our lives that isn’t bearing good fruit. Notice I said He wants to. But the big question is… are we willing to let God cut the branches off? Are we willing to allow God to prune us so we can flourish the way He designed us to? Are we willing, even if it’s going to hurt?
If we’re willing in the waiting, that’s where the magic happens. That’s where the tree flourishes. That’s where the growth happens. That’s where the miracles take place.
That’s where freedom is. Yes… freedom is in the waiting, and freedom doesn’t happen without digging, watering, and pruning.
Where are you in the waiting today? What is holding you back from flourishing in freedom? What’s keeping you from growth? Are you willing to allow God to dig, water, and prune in the waiting?
The time it takes for a tree to reach maturity depends on many factors, not the least of which is genetics. Some trees are slow growers (20-30 years to reach full size) and some are fast (10-15 years). Red maple (Acer rubrum) is a moderately fast grower; given good growing conditions, it should put on 1-2 feet of growth per year once established. – Better Homes & Gardens
We’ll never reach full capacity, because God is never done with us. But as we grow, as we reach new levels of maturity, God does beautiful things. Some of us are slow growers. Some of us are fast growers. Our focus must be on the growth. And the growth doesn’t happen overnight. And the growth doesn’t happen without the digging, the watering, and the pruning.
Where are you in the midst of waiting today? What does God need to dig up? Where does He need to add water? What does He need to prune.
You are an Oak of Righteousness, my friend. Beautifully planted by a patient God who longs to see us live our best lives, honoring Him with every branch and leaf we bear. You are rooted and grounded in HIs love. Don’t let anything get in the way of that.
I think my friend’s tree needs a name. What do you suggest?