I was walking out of the
office with a colleague friend, when we notice an ‘enset’ false banana planted
in a small area. My friend, said with astonishment, ‘how
would they expect enset plant to grow in a small area as such, it needs space.’
This reminds me of the palm plant me and my friends had while we were in
campus.
While I was in campus a
lot of students used to easily recognize mine and my friends’ dorm from all
other blocks easily. This was because of the palm plant we had on the terrace.
In our 3 years stay in Hawassa University, this plant had always been on our
terrace though we had been placed in different dorms. We even developed
emotional attachment to it! That plant was like a pet for us, we took care of
it, loved it, talked to it, admired it’s loyalty to us and so on. But we
graduated and time had come to say good bye to our plant. So our friend who
planted it decided to uproot it and plant it on the ground where it’s ‘friends’
were. She had brought the seed three years back from the gardeners who were
planting it in the university compound. When our friend uprooted our plant and went
to where the other seeds are planted, she saw something that surprised her. We
were all amazed to see all the other seeds have grown to be big magnificent
trees, while the same see, on our terrace, had only been surviving in the can. We
realized that we made the greatest mistake in limiting the seed with such potential.
This got me thinking,
Where am I planted in
life?
Is it in a place where I can grow to my
fullest potential or where I merely survive?
I want to ask the
same question to you, How about you? Where are you planted?
Family---are you planted in a
family you feel worthy, capable and educated? Or are you planted in a family
where you are always limited, told you are unable and unworthy?
Friends---Do
you surround yourself with friends that help you grow, change, take risks, and
be who you are?
Relationship---Are
you in a relationship that doesn’t add value to you, give respect and love you
deserve, that doesn’t go anywhere but drag you down in pain?
Culture---are
you confined in a culture where you only do things because that is the way
everyone is doing it?
Religion---what
spiritual knowledge have you been pursuing? Are you growing with a growing
church or have you let yourself settle in what is ‘okay’?
Emotions---Where do you plant yourself emotionally, in unforgiveness, grudge, anger and disappointment of the past? Are you allowing your past to control your present and future?
There are some plants,
though, planted in a flower pot like our plant, but there roots break out of
their limitation boxes;
Are you willing today to
stretch, to push and set yourself free?
Our plant needed us to
uproot it and plant it somewhere else. Sometimes we need a greater power to
uproot us of the lifestyle that keep us in chains. We can simply ask God to set
us free as long as we are willing to move out of our comfort zone.
Our plant was actually in
a very safe place in our terrace, we water it every day, we keep it inside in
storms and heavy rains, and make sure it gets the sunshine it needs. On the
other hand, the ground where the other seeds were planted is not safe, it is exposed
to heavy rains as it is to sunshine, and it is always troubled by heavy winds,
and dust and dirt that came with the wind. But the right place where the plant
grows to be a tree is where the storm is. This is true in our lives as well, ‘it
is out there’ that we grow, it is through the storms and the hard times, we can
be who we are created to be!
So today I want to challenge
you to take a step to uproot yourself, if you find it hard, ask God to help
you. If you are living with a family that keeps telling you, you are not worth,
never amount to anything, pack your clothes, with all due respect to your
parents, move out and get a condo. If you have a family that loves and adores
you, take care of you and provide everything you need, still move out if you
are above 18. Remember this only makes you like the plant on our terrace, you
be loved so much but might never get to grow to your full potential but merely
survive.
Are you planted in friends’
circle which is only a ‘circle’, with no way out, but same cycle now and then?
Do they challenge you to take risk, to grow, to change by being examples
themselves, or do you just sit and blame government, system, boss,
landlord...and everything else except yourselves for not being able to grow.
The Bible says;
“Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Proverbs 13:20
“…. Leave the presence of a fool, for there
you do not meet words of knowledge.” Proverbs
14:6-7
“Make no friendship with a man given to
anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle
yourself in a snare.” Proverbs
22:24-25
Okay, you might now be saying I
know my limitations, I can be anywhere I want, be with anyone I like and be
what I need to be, I guess that is why the Bible says;
“Do
not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 1 Corinthians 15:33
I can go on and on but you know your limitations, you know where you have been planted so let me just end this message:
Break free! Plant yourself
where you can grow to your fullest potential, because the world needs what is
in you!!
