It’s not the bamboo, it’s the SEED II

Have you ever heard of the story of the Chinese bamboo? Yes, the one growing 80+ feet tall in five years? If yes, it won’t hurt to read about it again. If not, the story was shared by Zig Ziglar, you can look him up online. I have written about it and more in this post but here is the summary;

The Chinese Bamboo Tree

When the Chinese bamboo tree seed is planted, it needs constant and continuous care for four years. In these four years, it is the job of the farmer, the one in waiting, to water, nurture, and care for it. That simply means, four years of watering, weeding, and everything they do to care for it, to break the ground successfully. With no tangible result in the four years, the seedling breaks the ground in the fifth year.
In this fifth year, this is when everything comes together. The seedling, in just six (6) weeks, grows, and shoots to more than 80 feet in height. Read again, in just six weeks the seedling becomes an 80+ ft tall plant. This means, that the only farmer who will live to see the plant in the end, is the one who waited, working tirelessly in the four years when the seed is still in the ground, hidden, shut, buried in sand to die, and then become.

Then, It continues... the Bamboo

As you read the story above it is easy to get what you need. If you know what you want or are looking for. In the end, this story reminds us of one thing: it is the journey we take in, with and growing, we become. Don’t miss Patience, Resilience, Dedication, Adaptability, Foundation, Curiosity, Persistence, Perspective, Faith, Self-Discipline, Gratitude, Hope, Mindfulness, Resourcefulness, Confidence, Vision, and Commitment (among many others).

It is beautiful to observe the bamboo seedlings shooting to 80+ ft plants in just six weeks. Surely, it can make you appreciate the work that was done in the five years the seed was dead, buried in the darkness of the earth. It makes you wonder what the seed was up to all those years. As a reader who has never seen it, might have thought; that next time I get to plant them, I will plant an extra, so that I can be digging up and looking at the seed after every year to just see. But, that will be a bummer. Why.

Because the bamboo that you get to see shooting 80+ ft in just 6 weeks, is the seed that needed the 4 years and months, to break the ground. That is, no disturbance, just care. That means only the seed that was cared for, becomes a bamboo. And this is where I am today.

The Chinese Bamboo Tree Seed

When one reads of the Chinese Bamboo Tree, the lessons, the characters, the uses. How easy it is to overlook that, most of the time the bamboo is spent as a seed, thus, in silence. So, there is more in silence. There is more in what we do not see. There is more in faith. Faith, is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Heb 11:1)

Seed must be planted

The right seed must be planted. The seed must be planted right as well. The seed must be planted, and in five years, the farmer is looking forward to harvesting the bamboo. And yes, not any bamboo trees, but the ones that are 80+ ft tall, stronger than steel, and are also edible among the many uses they have. The farmer is looking forward to harvesting Chinese Bamboo Trees because he planted the seeds of such specific. Just as the WORD says, You can only reap that which you have sown (Galatians 6:7-9)

Work must be done

The work done during the farming of the bamboo and yes, working on any goal, is what will account for the result. It is the result that proves the work that was done. Like in the story, it is the bamboo trees, yes in 80+ ft height, that will prove the work it took to reap. What am I saying here? I am saying, what you are expecting is determined by what you are doing this minute, in an hour, every day to the time you were looking to receive.

The thing is, the farm, land will continue to do its nature thing. Produce weeds, grasses here and bushes there. It is your job to clean and clear everything else. Whether you clear the farm or prep it for farming. It is work. Whether you will plant the seeds, enough of them. It is work. Work. And whether you will care for the seed and the farm for five years. It will require your work. Above all, it will require personal discipline and dedication to work.

Give your all

You know that, and surely believe, if you farm that ground and plant the seeds (seedlings) that you will harvest at the end of the season. If you believe that, if I write that book, knowingly it is the season for people to read about these things. Things you have taken time to wait, you have sought the LORD’s face, prayed about it, fasted about it (continue to fast), have researched about. If that is the product or service, you have given time to research, test and try in the market, you are sure that it is going to do great. Then it is the result that will show how committed, faithful and consistent we were about what we heard.

I believe you are a listener and a believer, God speaks. For if a man thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. God is faithful to answer, open, and give when we ask, knock and seek faithfully.

Work faithfully

But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden. (Galatians 6: 4-6) It is not going to be smooth, waiting, working and all the work, without anything to show. (Although the goal is not to show but tarry, wait until that day- it becomes).

Have awareness

Know your seed

Understand the seeds you are working with. As much as we all love the inspiration and the energy we get from reading about the bamboo tree, there is more. Understand the seeds you are working with, planting and the time they take. Not every seed is a bamboo tree seed. There are near your burdens, and at the right time, you will reap them.

• Galatians 6:7-9 (NIV): “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
• 2 Corinthians 9:6 (NIV): “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.”
• Proverbs 11:18 (NIV): “A wicked person earns deceptive wages, but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.”
• Galatians 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

In perseverance, resilience, consistency and faithfulness not mockery

What you offer in giving, showing, sowing, reading and studying is what will determine the fruits that you will reap. Just like in the laws of nature, gravity, motion and speed, there are laws guiding man, his doing, making, and becoming and these are only understood better when you choose to. Choosing the Lord, choosing to be led by the Spirit of God. Jesus says in:

• John 15:5 (NIV): “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
• Matthew 7:17-20 (NIV): “Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit, you will recognize them.”

In surrender, obedience faith, trust and hope

Always Remember

1. It is possible and better in, with and through Him ALONE

Will it be easy, surrendering the years nurturing something you believe you heard God spoke to you commissioned to you or you believe must be done for what God says for? No. But it will be done only through Him. Paul writes it better.

• James 1:2-4 (NIV): “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
• Romans 5:3-5 (NIV): “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
• Philippians 4:13 (NIV): “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

2. It shall surely come to pass

It took five years, five good years for the bamboo to become. In the first four years, what to do if you are a farmer. Do you work, get the job set done and hope in the LORD, faithfully. No matter how barren, dry and lost land is, soil is, vision is; you can become. WAIT on the LORD. Jesus, David and Isaia write it better;

• Isaiah 54:1 (NIV): “Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labour; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the LORD.”
• Psalm 127:3 (NIV): “Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him.”
• Luke 1:37 (NIV): “For no word from God will ever fail.”

3. We can choose and become

We are not the ones controlling nature, rain, changes in soil, air or even water. You can not change the economic systems, politics, and beliefs (others), but you can surely change and get yourself transformed and configured to believe IT IS POSSIBLE and I AM BECOMING. You are the SEED.

• Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV): “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.”
• Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Again, whether you clear the farm or prep it for farming. It is a choice. Whether you plant the seeds, enough of them. It is a choice. A Choice. And whether you will care for the seed and the farm for five years. It will require your choice to work. Above all, it will require a personal commitment and dedication to do both.

4. It takes time for the seed to become

• Ecclesiastes 3:1: “For everything, there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven.”
• Romans 8:25: “But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”
• Habakkuk 2:3: “For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.”
• Galatians 6:9: “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up.”

5. Wait on the Lord

• Isaiah 40:31: “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
• Isaiah 30:18: “Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore He exalts Himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him.”
• Psalm 37:7: “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways when they carry out their wicked schemes.”
• 1 Peter 5:6-7: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you.”
• James 5:7-8: “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and late rains.”
• Lamentations 3:25-26: “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”
• Psalm 130:5-6: “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His Word, I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.”
• Psalm 27:14: “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”

Think about

In the end, as much as the journey matters, the seed carries even more weight. You don’t want to come to the fifth year only to find you sown fried, wrong or unbearing seed. You don’t wish for harvest time to come, to find out that, yes, they were bamboo seeds, but not the mighty, right, expected, the waited. What should the farmer do? The farmer might even burn them all when needed. You are the seed in this journey called LIFE. What kind of seed are you? Think about it.

What kind of seed are you?

K ^ ^

Remember; it is possible and better with Him, choose surrender, humility and trust in God. What He promised, has spoken, will become, come to pass. The choice is yours and mine. It is a responsibility, to hold yourself accountable for each one you make today. In faith and trust, in believing and hope, in choice and surrender. Our seeds become the best, honourable and useful bamboo trees the world has ever seen. This is the glory of He who planted us here.

Yours, Karah!