THE FERN AND THE BAMBOO - A Lesson Learned

My preacher friend, John, passed this on to me. It has a great lesson for all of us.

"One day I decided to quit...I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality... I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?" His answer surprised me...

"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes", I replied.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its Brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo. In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo." He said, "In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would not quit." He said.
"Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant...But just six months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive."

"I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle."

He said to me, "Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots? I would not quit on the bamboo. I will never quit on you. Don't compare yourself to others."
He said, "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful. Your time will come", God said to me. "You will rise high."

"How high should I rise?" I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.

"As high as it can?" I questioned

"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest and brought back this story. I hope these words can help you see that God will never give up on you - ever!!

Never regret a day in your life. Good days give you happiness; bad days give you experiences; both are essential to life."

When this came to me I read it with appreciation for the fact that God will never, ever, give up on me. Then I became troubled wondering if I have ever given up on someone who wasn't finished growing yet. We encounter people who we believe are "idiots" every day. They are immature, arrogant, and (least we be too judgmental) a waste of good oxygen. We try to avoid them or ignore them but if we have to deal with them we do it as quickly as possible with limited contact and no exchange of pleasantries.
I have been around long enough to know that everyone is, at one time or another, been an idiot to someone. Now I know this is harsh but it is true. Are we happy with the thought that we were considered and idiot by someone else? No, we are not because we know that we are not nor have we ever been an idiot! Or have we???

Please do not be so quick to give up on people. Or judge them! Or look down on them! It may be a matter of them never having been challenged or understood or appreciated!

Since we are to be Christ-like, we need to not give up on others - ever.

God calls it grace!!