There’s a species of bamboo in China (Mao Zhu) that’s known for how long it takes to grow. It’s years, actually. You plant it, you water it, and you wait … and nothing happens, at least not right away. You keep at it this year and next, and a couple of years more. Still nothing. All you see is dirt.
But all this time, something’s going on underground. The roots are expanding, deep and wide, like they’re preparing for what’s to come.
And then, somewhere around year five, the bamboo bursts through the soil, growing as much as ninety feet in six weeks.
It seems so sudden, unless you were the one watering the ground all this time.
Maybe, in your life, you’ve experienced something similar: you pray, you sow, you wait … and nothing. All you see is dirt.
Still, God is at work beneath the surface, doing what needs to be done, until the roots are deep, the foundation firm, and growth is ready to take place.
In the meantime, you have one job. Stay the course. That seed will see the light of day.
“At the right time, I, the LORD, will make it happen.” (Isaiah 60:22)
More than 50 times in the Bible someone asks God, “How long?” It’s a common question, but this idea that it’s taking too long — that’s just our way of seeing it. As far as God is concerned, all is on schedule.
Don’t be fooled by what you don’t see. And don’t be discouraged when the soil looks the same, day after day after day. Keep at it. And keep reminding yourself of the harvest that is sure to come.
Let the earth open up that salvation may sprout and righteousness spring up with it; I, the LORD, have created it. (Isaiah 45:8)
