By Olubunmi Adebayo
*Have you been known over the years to be doing good to other people?*
*Were you noted for:*
*Helping the helpless?*
*Relieving the pains of others?*
*Assisting the oppressed out of their state of oppression?*
*Bearing the burdens on other people?*
*And does it look as if the harvest time of your labour and good deeds are not coming forth?*
*Despair not please. Be encouraged in the Lord and in yourself. Know that your own appointed time to be remembered shall come if you faint not.*
*I will encourage you with one fact of life – the story of the Chinese Bamboo Tree.*
*The Chinese Bamboo Tree falls into the class of one of the most unique and classical cases of life experience we must all learn something from.*
*A Chinese Bamboo Tree takes 5 years to grow with very good daily watering on well nourished ground where it has been planted. This must be done consistently every day for 5 years.*
*Note that in those 5 years, the seed of the tree does not break-forth in the ground.*
*After 5 years of watering and nurturing, the tree will then break through the ground, suddenly growing up to 90 feet tall in just 5 weeks.*
*Just imagine, achieving in 5 weeks, what it took 5 years to prepare and process!*
*There are times that the life of a man could be likened to this scenario above.*
*Note that the time between sowing and harvest could be so short or sometimes quite long, depending on the type of seed that has been sown, the environment in which the seed was sown, and the type of harvest that is in the pipeline.*
*Further lessons from this case of the Bamboo tree above are as follows :*
*1. Growth often happens underground first. This is because a lot of progress in life is invisible, involving skill-building, character development, healing, relationships.*
*Know that you are watering even when you see no tangible results yet. The roots matter more at the preparatory stage, same is life.*
*2. Patience and Consistency must come into play :*
*The farmer wouldn’t quit 3 years or 4 years into the planting process.*
*Please know that our small daily actions should be geared towards keeping and nurturing the plant.*l
*3. Don’t compare timelines:*
*Other plants sprout in weeks, but not bamboo which takes 5 years.*
*Also know that your season isn’t late — it is just different. Forcing it too early may break the whole seed process.*
*4. Understand that strong foundations support big and great results:*
*5. You must learn to trust the process even when there is no feedback :*
*At this stage of planting, you need a good dose of faith, discipline, and delayed gratification.*
*You must keep watering not because you see proof today, but because you believe in what you’re building – not many people believe in what they are doing.*
*Always remember this : the reward of doing good is great, if you can wait for it.*
Good day to you 👍
©️ Olubunmi S Adebayo.
