Growing Like A Seed

Lucy Holt

As my children grow, I often discuss being a parent with others. As a teacher, I spend much of my time offering advice and support to young people.

One thing which often comes up is that it takes space and time for young people to grow. Often well-intended advice or support seem to be utterly ignored and washes over them 'like water off a ducks back'. But actually it's more like water off a plant’s leaves: it doesn't seem to make a difference at the moment it is given, but later it sinks in, and is life-giving.

Psalm 1 describes a righteous person as:

'like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and whose leaf does not wither'
(Psalm 1:3)

It's not just young people. As a scientist I often want to solve my own problems by working out the answer intellectually, and feel that being able to name the issue and read a book about it should solve things. Moments of insight and wise words from others can help for sure, but don't mean instant growth.

There are definitely things which I thought I had fully solved within weeks or months, which in fact took years of gentle healing and change. I'm quite glad in the first few weeks I didn't know how long it would take, but now God's gentle healing seems a beautiful thing (which is no doubt actually still ongoing).

I'm encouraged that Jesus uses so many images of plants when he describes growth - growth & change of people, development of faith, change in communities. Because plants take time Even given all the right conditions (and much needed water) they still don't instantly bear fruit. There are seasons for green shoots, seasons for fruit, and seasons for dying back and pruning, that are all part of a healthy growing plant.

As summer comes around it's natural to look back on previous holidays, to find the old sandals and sunhats are smaller than we remember and see how much we've grown; to sometimes feel a letting go of routines or habits that no longer fit this new stage.

Whether you are at home or away, notice the growth which has happened over time. Be gentle with yourself and others when wisdom needs time to gently sink in. Remember that life is always sprouting bright flowers to be moving in the right direction.