This past spring my boys were playing soccer in the back yard when my son kicked a ball against the base of the tree. When he retrieved the ball what should his wondering eyes behold, but a grapefruit that in his words was “as big as my head!”
Finally the little tree that wouldn’t – finally did! Now months later, our little tree that for so long was an underachiever is at last filled with giant citrusy orbs vying for their place in the Guinness Book of World Records. Because we couldn’t see progress in our tree for 10 years, we assumed that nothing would ever develop on the tree. Little did we know that under the ground the roots of the tree were growing just waiting for the right opportunity to blossom and thrive.
Watching the miraculous re-birth of a tree that we’d long since given up on reminds me how God oftentimes works in our lives. We pray repeated prayers only to feel as though God’s not listening to us and that we’ll never get an answer. Just because we can’t see progress with regards to a prayer request doesn’t mean that God is ignoring us; it simply means that He may be working behind the scenes doing something less obvious – waiting for just the right time and opportunity to answer our prayers.
Our little tree has taught me the importance of waiting on God and trusting that His plan is not always the same as my plan. Just because we can’t see progress doesn’t mean that progress isn’t happening. Be it a landscaping challenge or something more serious like healing or salvation – we simply need to learn to wait on God.
Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. James 5:7-8 (NLT)
Blessings in Christ,
Kathy Kurlin
Author
www.kathleenkurlin.com
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