Hey !
We all know what trees are. We pass hundreds of them on a daily basis. They line the sides of our roads, they dwell in the gardens of our homes, they stretch out their arms and gift us with their shade.
But here’s a question… Have you ever stopped in your tracks, looked at a tree in all its natural splendor and thought, “How old are you?” or, “How long have you been grounded in this exact spot in the Earth?” or, “How did you get here?”
Now, I’m not saying I am a regular tree-conversationalist. Rather, that there is something admirable about the process of a tree’s growth. A sort of essence to be noticed about the journey from a tiny seed to a towering vessel:
Patience.
The seed does not become the tree overnight. It takes years of growing, changing and developing to reach its full height and size.
We all start out as seeds
Everyone knows what it’s like to have a long-term goal. Whether it be health or fitness-related, business-related, faith-related etc. I think, sometimes, many of us expect to reach these goals in a matter of days. And when a short time passes and we’re not where we’d like to be… we give up.
The truth is, there is a real beauty in learning the life skill of patience. In teaching ourselves that we don’t have to arrive at our destinations immediately. In realising that we all start out as seeds. Each person, planted in a unique realm of life, ready to start the growing process.
It won’t take a day. It won’t take ten days. Maybe even after a few months, you still won’t see the progress. We have to remember that progress is not always visible in the moment… That it may only become visible one day, when you look at yourself and realise that you did it.
You became the tree.
Concluding thoughts
I have really had to nurture patience over the last year, regarding this “secret project” I have been working on (I promise you guys will hear about it soon). And I have learnt so much about what it means to practice waiting amidst the hard work – waiting to share with people, waiting on inspiration, waiting on the fruits of quiet labour.
It has been a sweet journey. And yet, I still am a seed.
Catch you in the next one!
Joshua 🙂