There is a lesson to be found in how trees grow. Plant the typical tree out in the wide open spaces and it will grow wide as well; but what happens if you plant a tree in a narrow confined space?
Several years ago I had a tree expert come in to do some work on our trees. At the time, we had a beautiful mountain ash tree in our back yard that was tall and straight; a really beautiful tree. Upon seeing the Mountain Ash, the tree man’s first comment was “My goodness, that is a tall, skinny Ash tree”. His comment made my tree seem less than desirable so I asked him what he meant.
He told me that a typical Mountain Ash tree usually spreads wider and wider as it grows each year, but my tree was indeed tall and skinny, like an arrow. Thinking about it, I realized the first Mountain Ash tree I fell in love with was pretty much as wide as it was tall; quite unlike my Mountain Ash tree.
He went on to tell me that trees planted in narrow areas tend to stay very narrow. Actually, they can usually grow wider than they do, meaning they don’t even fill up all the space they have. There are, of course, varieties of trees that are destined to grow a certain way regardless of their surroundings.
The lesson, of course, is about the limitations we choose to accept in our lives. We all know people who think we should be different than we are. Almost everyone, at times, wishes they were smarter, stronger, quicker, or whatever. When we look at ourselves, those things we see as being “less than” are the limitations we choose. Do you ever feel if you were smarter, you would be better? If you were stronger, would that make you better? Or, if someone else was smarter or stronger, would they be better?
It is the same thing as the elephant with the string on his foot. When an elephant is a baby, a chain is placed in his foot and the baby elephant is raised with the limitation created by the chain. He cannot go anywhere, so he eventually stops trying. When he has stopped testing the chain, a string can be used to remind the elephant he cannot go anywhere. Is that really true? Of course not. The elephant could snap that string in a second if, for a second, he believed he could. The trouble is that he believes the limitation is real so he never tries to go anywhere at all.
How often have you wanted to have or do something and found yourself thinking, “I can’t have that because I’m not smart enough” or “I can’t do that because I’m not strong enough”? Isn’t it time you decided you can have or do the desires of your heart? Isn’t it time you discover for yourself what you can do instead of deciding what you can’t do?
Look inside your present heart and find your abilities, strengths and gifts. You are smart enough. You are strong enough. You are quick enough. You were created with a complete set of whatever you require to attain the God given desires of your heart.
Oh, and those other trees, the ones that grow the way they are supposed to regardless of their surroundings? Those are the people around you who already know what their limitations are not.
