Watching trees grow

I was at a staff retreat in East Texas earlier this week. Outside the house where I was staying was this beautiful pine tree.  

I watched it all the time we were there and it didn't do anything!

I was hoping to see it grow, but it didn't move, it didn't change....it didn't do anything!

I'm sure you're thinking, "You're crazy, you can't see a tree grow!" 

That's true, so why do we think we can see a person grow?  

It takes time.  

I could watch someone for months and they may not seem to change at all!  In our Christian world we would quickly conclude they weren't really a Christian in the first place or they weren't really "serious about their faith."

But would you say that about my tree?  Would you tell that tree, if it were really a good tree, you would grow.  But it is growing!  You just can't see it.

Why do we expect the growth of a person to be something we can see and measure?  It's usually not!  
Growth is slow, steady and calmly happening...it takes time....you won't see it but it's happening.

Paul wrote the the Christians  in Ephesus, "Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong." 

I have been a Christian for more than 50 years....most of my life...and I still have so many things that aren't as they should be....but I'm growing.  And one day, perhaps today, I will finish the race and become what God made me to be....until then I'm going to keep growing.