"ponderments" from Life's little lessons for growing high and rooting deep
A lot of us will say “I’ll try to do that” and it kind of gives us a sense of possible expected failure or get out clause to the commitment of completion or
arrangement.
However, if we are to change “try” for “learn” then this gives a totally different opportunity- to give ourselves permission to grow into something new and not set
out expecting that it will not actually happen.
In the western culture we seem to be potted in all these single pots which stunts and limits growth and connection.
And if we as people are like this, then what we are building will also have this culture, which includes the church. We can see this in most towns and cities- each church is potted and has its own pot with its own roots and disconnection.
But this isn’t how we have been designed- as people, as church, as community. We were designed to grow and be connected and be strong and have roots that are not shallow and limited but intertwined and deep.
If we see the difference between planted and potted plants, there is such a difference in strength, stature, connection and benefit. And yet as humans (in the west) we seem to desire to stay potted and disconnected and therefore fall short of so many benefits of life and growth.
We want the easy maintenance than the harder work. But in actual fact, when we grow wild and free we are less bothered with perfection and more able to enjoy beauty of life’s fullness.
We can also see that when we are planted then we can grow naturally rather than in containment and confinement. We will reproduce without even the intention as that is the design, whereas in pots, seeds drop and are blown away or taken and potted elsewhere in other pots..
This is so parallel to how we live and we think that we are advancing, whereas we have so much mental health pain, isolation, stunted growth in lives, relationship brokenness, etc..
Let’s take ourselves from the picture perfect pottedness and get ourselves planted in the wide open spaces. Let us live larger and beyond ourselves and interconnect our roots with others so that we can become stronger together.
In discipling, every person has been created differently with different skills and gifts.. an elephant vs a rabbit will reproduce on a very different level. If you want rapid growth then rabbits are your animal, but if you want strength and long life then elephants have this..
Every animal kind has different journeys and processes to go through. And this is very similar to people. Jesus has told us to “go out and make disciples” and uses all of us with our different personalities, characters, giftings, and spheres of influence. Every one of us live by example, whether we like it or not, and so this teaches people about us and whether or not we are worth coming alongside in life. This is then discipleship. And can be used for either kingdom, using any and every kind of medium.
To always keep in mind- we are in our own race and not in competition with anyone else. What God calls and asks of us will likely look very different from the person next to us.
Don’t compare- yourself, giftings, journeys..
The harvest is great. Everyone is needed.
When we start new ventures- whether this is a new job, baby, marriage, whatever- there is going to be a period of time where we are in overdrive of stretching and being challenged and perhaps this may affect our sleep, our restfulness, our relationships, and our mental or physical health.
I will use children as an example as these are what the Bible calls blessings. Now, how many know that if this is the case, then blessings are not easy and light?! So when we get a blessing (job, or promotion or whatever) then there is a massive challenge for us to enter into- not some fluffy and light skip in the park.
This means that when we choose to walk through a very new and unknown (to us) season then it will stretch every part of our being and character and test us on all sides. And if something is impacting us, then (if we are living authentically and honestly with others) then it will also affect those close to us too.
But one thing I have realised- we cannot avoid or medicate this time of growth away. This is the cost of blessing- it is heavy (until we get used to the load- and then we get heavier weights!). But God knows our capacity in every season and is not a twisted taskmaster as some may view Him as. Just like personal trainers know that our bodies are so much more capable of working out a lot longer than we feel like we can bear, so God knows how much we can handle- which is beyond our comfort (for sure) but not beyond our capacity or ability.
There are no shortcuts to growing capacity to cope, to manage, for character, for relationships.. All of these take time for development. And in our culture of microwave, we hate this. But if we want true strength of character, family, relationships.. then I truly believe that it may be hard (to say the least) but it will have the biggest return ever of investment that we could possibly get.
Feel the pain and keep going. Cry the tears and keep showing up. God has so much more from and through these days.
Digging deep it takes work, effort, makes us sweat and creates a mess.
But life requires us to dig deep- a lot! So let’s not be afraid of the cost because if we don’t, then the cost later is way higher than the cost today.
But it’s not all bad; if something needs replanting for bigger growth then we need to also dig something good up to provide a new environment for greater growth.
Stay in your own garden and do the work. It will be worth it.. For you, and everyone else in your life!
It is so interesting how God brings Kingdom and how He describes Kingdom to be- like a mustard seed that’s planted- the smallest seed ever- to then grow into the biggest garden plant, or like the seed that is scattered by the farmer and falls on different ground and grows differently, or like yeast in a batch of dough. All of these examples show us that the Kingdom of God is tiny and seemingly not the ‘main thing’- like soil, or dough is.. But all these parables show us that, although these tiny elements are easy to be overlooked and despised, they are actually what bring change to the landscape or/and the expansion and rising of the dough.
Sometimes we can pray and be misled in our understanding to think that God will “supply our every need” by how we would expect- and straight away! When we read the Word of God, we see that Jesus is interested in process, in growing, in being in the mix and part of a bigger picture.
This can be frustrating to us as we want everything “now!” please! We see the small seed grow and can despise for such a long time how weak and pathetic things look, when in all true Kingdom honesty, this is part of our miracle and prayer becoming a strong and deep-rooted answer. The answer is not only for us, but for others to also benefit from. When we pray, sometimes God will, instead of giving us subsistence, will give us seed and a field. This isn’t the answer we want! But from this, we harvest a multiplication of what we need and a continual provision. But we have to be disciplined and intentional and not slack in bringing our own answer to pass. God is interested in our fitness of body, character and spirit. In giving us seed we have to work for growth and then maintenance. This requires energy. It requires faithfulness and work.
God is always answering more than just our one dimensional prayer that we bring! He is working on our beings. He is working on our labouring. He is working on our generosity, on our discipline, perseverance, character, patience…
Let us not overlook or despise the small beginnings. God is faithful. Let us also be faithful.
ponderments 