When I moved into my house in 2013, I discovered I have a problem. A bamboo problem. Do not ever, under any circumstances, plant bamboo in your yard. It grows. And spreads. And you cannot get rid of it. Ever.
But that didn’t stop me from trying. I googled “How to get rid of bamboo” and one answer kept popping up. Dynamite. Well, that or bring in heavy machinery to dig it up and fill it in with concrete. I was kinda hoping for a spray.
CHINESE BAMBOO
In my research though, I came across a story about a special kind of Chinese bamboo. As the story goes, the bamboo is planted in year one. It’s planted, and watered, and fertilized. And watched. Nothing happens. Year two comes along and still nothing. No shoots or green to measure. Years three and four pass without any obvious growth. And then comes year five. In year five, the bamboo grows. Suddenly. Fast. And all at once. It can grow up to 80 feet tall in just six weeks!
Ok, I don’t know if this story is true. But it is fascinating. Because five years is a long time to wait. It’s a long time to water, and watch, and wonder. It’s a long time to go without seeing any progress. And it’s a long time to hold out hope.
In fact, it’s long enough to decide you just might be crazy.
But here’s what I’ve learned about bamboo. The reason it’s so hard to get rid of is because it establishes itself underground. It has the most incredible root system. The roots grow remarkably long and far and wide. They wind around each other, connected and attached. They spread out under the surface, claiming massive amounts of territory. And the reason that Chinese bamboo doesn’t grow until year five is because it spends the first four years developing this intense root system so that when this expedited growth comes, the roots can hold it up. And it’s almost impossible to knock it down.
You can’t see it. It’s hard to measure or track or watch. But it’s growing the whole time. The progress is just underground.
And let’s be honest. That underground work isn’t very exciting when you’re waiting to see what pops up. It takes trust and faith and reckless hope that you’re not just a crazy person with magic beans. It means working in the winter to prepare for the harvest in the spring.
IN THE WAITING
But hear me on this.
Who you are in the waiting directly affects who you’ll be when the breakthrough comes.
The roots you grow. The rhythms you develop. The values you establish will follow you when the breakthrough appears. The fulfillment is not going to determine your character. It will reveal what’s already there.
So in a season that feels passive and out of control, there’s actually vitally important work to be done. It’s just underground.
Grow deep roots. Develop healthy rhythms. Establish firm values. Begin preparing now for who you’ll be if and when the Lord gives you the things you’ve been longing for.
PREPARE NOW
If you’re praying for a husband, establish yourself as a person of commitment who keeps her word and follows through. Even in the small things. Pray for strong marriages for the people around you. Pray for others what you want for yourself.
If you’ve been asking for a new opportunity, a job, a promotion, or a change: Celebrate people who get the opportunity before you. Determine your work habits - are you giving your best even in the small things? Or waiting for someone to notice you to give it your all?
If you’re waiting on babies, I get it. Peter and I are still early in our journey into this waiting season, but the cycle of hope and disappointment every month is unlike any other kind of waiting I’ve experienced. It’s consuming and overwhelming and exhausting. So we’ve committed to supporting families around us. We’re financially investing in adoptions and orphanages here in the US and overseas. We’re sowing into other families the way we hope one day people will sow into ours.
If you’re waiting on answers, ask the questions. Be honest with God about your disappointment, and hurt, and fear. Develop a healthy dialogue with God, even when that means being vulnerable and transparent. And be open to His healing even before the answers come. Even if they never come.
To be clear, we don’t do these things because they’ll make our season of waiting shorter. We don’t do them to prove to God that we’re ready or deserving or worthy. He’s not waiting for us to get it all together. We do them even if they’re never seen because they make us people of substance ready for any growth the Lord has planned for us.
ROOTS
Because roots weren’t meant to be seen. They’re meant to support.
And I promise you, whatever God has planned for you, whatever you have coming your way, investing in this underground work during the hidden seasons of waiting will pay off tenfold in the years to come.
This week:
What are you currently doing now to prepare for the season to come?
What are two things you’ll commit to starting in faith this week?