I got an
email today with some stunning photography in it – and it included one picture
that especially caught my eye. The email was from my Mother, who loves to send
me emails. I get a lot of them from her. I appreciate them because they often (though
not always - LOL) give me some insights or amusement. This one caught my eye because it reminded me
of how growth – no matter what the growth looks like – can encounter some
amazing obstacles.
The image
above is the one that my mother’s email included. It is of a tree growing up
into and through an old car. For me, when I saw it, the tree represented the individual
and how we grow. It is still just a tree. It grows with sunshine, water, and
nutrients. It grows based on the wind that twists it and the type of tree it
is. It grows despite the obstacles that get in its way. Some grow off the side
of mountain tops, some grow in desolate places, and some grow in the midst of
friends and forests. But they grow anyway.
The tree in
this picture either had its origins as a seed that blew in and took root there –
or it was already growing when the old car was abandoned over it. But the tree kept
growing and growing and growing. It made adaptations and changes to grow –
despite the obstacle that was in its way. It grows through the car – through
the large and small openings in the car. It grew despite the obstacle. It grew
to reach the sunlight and the rain. It grew to be what it was created to be.
That’s
important for us, too. We grow despite the obstacles. Sometimes we grow right
through them. We have to be persistent. We have to adapt and change to the circumstances.
We have to find the small and large openings to grow through.
But
sometimes we get derailed by the obstacles in our way. We stop growing … we get
stuck. We refuse to find a way to grow despite the struggles.
But this is
the exact time that our growth can be the most potent and lasting. When we grow
in the midst of obstacles we are choosing to be all of who God created us to
be. When we grow we are embracing what God wants of us and for us. When we grow
despite the obstacles we are growing with God’s grace.
We will all
encounter obstacles. As my Dad said often when I was growing up, “Nobody
promised you that life would be easy.” But we are not alone in our growth. God
is with us in this growth. God is blessing us with sunshine, rain and nutrients
– all we need to grow. God is here – right now – cheering on your growth,
sending you all you need, loving you through the obstacles.
So, here’s
my invitation to you – grow despite the obstacles. Grow in the midst of the
hard times that you find yourself in. Hang on to anything you can grab hold of.
Find a way.
Don’t give up.
Keep
growing. Don’t give up.
Make a way
through the obstacle. Don’t give up.
God is with
you. Don’t give up.
