No Shortcuts...

I was reading Henri Nouwen today and he wrote, "he who has the day will gain the night as well." In essence he's saying that if we spend our time, our days purposefully we it will follow that we will be blessed with a good night's rest as well. Good seed produces good fruit.

Our life is like a seed too. We need to nurture it, to allow it to grow, just likw a tree. And like a tree it takes time to grow, to mature. And yet today we demand results, rather than desire the process, and we aren't willing to put in the time, or the effort, that good character, good fruit demands. Fruit takes time and maturity.

I've written in the past that we are an "instant gratification" society, that we haven't learned to wait for the right timing, but I'm coming to realize that perhaps more than a characteristic of modern society it is a characteristic of the human condition. I read in Acts, chapter 8, the story of Simon the Sorcerer, and how he believed the preaching of Phillip, and later Peter and John, but wasn't willing to take the time to allow his faith to grow. Instead, he offered the disciples money for the power of the Holy Spirit... Faith takes time, the power of the Holy Spirit is magnified with maturity... From the early days we've sought instant gratification.

We too often desire the mature fruit with little regard or focus on the process it takes to produce that fruit. We want the results without the pain, without the demands of walking that road of obedience that produces that fruit. We desire well-being but don't care for our bodies; we desire inner peace but refuse to be honest and transparent that inner peace demands. We want the results without the work. I planted fruit trees when my kids were small; it was at least five years before we saw any fruit, yet every year we pruned and watered and cared for our trees. Now, many years later, every summer we are blessed with the fruit of our early labors- (or the deer, squirrels, and racoon are anyway!). Anything worthwhile is worth waiting and nuturing...

Food for thought...