Bamboo

I'm on a fitness email list from Yuri Elkaim.  In today's email, he had the following observation about bamboo and how it develops and grows over time.  There are so many areas of our lives where this can apply - whether it's with things we're diligently working on ourselves, some change that we hoping for in a family member, someone's faith in God, etc.  Often we may not see the immediate benefits of our actions but, if we stick with it long enough, perhaps we will see a dramatic result sometime in the future.


Chinese bamboo is quite unique.

To plant it, prepare the ground, plant a small bamboo seed, water it, fertilize it for a whole year, and…except for a tiny sprout…

Nothing happens.

Continue to water it regularly and fertilize it for a second year, and then to your amazement…

Nothing happens.

Year three…

Water it, fertilize it some more, lovingly clear the weeds away and then…

Still nothing happens!

How discouraging. You planted your bamboo seed with love and hope. You planted it in the best soil. You watered it faithfully and gave it the best fertilizer.

Your reward?

Nothing.

Year four…

Again, you water it, fertilize it, and continue to care for the precious seed you planted and still nothing happens.

By this point, you're ready to call it quits. You look around, noticing all the other plants in the garden have grown by leaps and bounds and are beautiful to look at.

But your precious bamboo?

For 4 years you've patiently tended to it, hoping that it will grow into an amazing tree. Instead, you get nothing but frustration.

You'll want to pounce on it and stomp the life out of it.

Then just when you're ready to give up on the bamboo and lay down your watering can…

Sometime during the FIFTH year…

Growth starts taking place.

In the six weeks that follow, the Chinese bamboo tree grows as much as 3 FEET PER DAY, until it grows to be as much as 90 FEET TALL!

Just imagine the miracle you would have missed if you had given up along the way.

Life is often like the Chinese bamboo. It can be discouraging and unrewarding sometimes. Especially when you seemingly do things right and nothing happens.

You pay the price to prepare yourself and take consistent action…and yet nothing happens for weeks, months, or years.

This is when most people simply give up.