We have a lovely oak tree that has been living beside a straggly looking pine. The pine was once very nice and almost 50 feet tall. But it was damaged in our last hurricane and never recovered so today we had it removed. My wife told me to watch the oak. It now has more room and light and will prosper and spread out. It is like people. We are designed to grow and spread out. I’m not talking about our waists but our talents, abilities and influence. Regretfully, often we are in an environment that stifles us and sometimes it is family and friends. Often others who haven’t done much with their lives don’t want anyone else to be successful. I’ve known husbands who didn’t want their wives to go to school. Sometimes people mock those who want to change and better themselves. If so, it is time to change one’s environment. Since we can’t cut others down we need to move on if we are going to fulfill our dreams and maximize our potential.
Jesus was very unique. He could mingle with riffraff and not be polluted and degraded. Being that Jesus didn’t do anything we cannot do, we have to know He was successful because of His reliance on His Father. We usually don’t do so well. It seems that a barrel of rotten apples doesn’t get better because there is a good one put into the mix nor does the good one stay good. Perhaps I should at this point say we need to rely on our connection with our Heavenly Father and we should. Often we hear that we should grow where we are planted. That’s true. However, I think the message really is to go where we can prosper and grow.
Written by Roger Bothwell on June 26, 2014
Spring of Life, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
Rogerbothwell.org