The story above is a paraphrase of a paragraph I read in Passion & Purity. The author’s purpose for describing this regular occurrence is to help us recognize that without letting go, their cannot be life. This process of “receiving and relinquishing, gaining and losing, living and dying” is key to any Christians life. We must let go of our talents, our desires, our love, our blessings, indeed all of ourselves, and let God grow us. In every step of its growth, that tree takes a risk. It doesn’t know if the seed will produce a sprout; it doesn’t know if the sprout will grow into a strong tree; it doesn’t know if a bud will form and produce a flower; it doesn’t know if it will be able to produce fruit; it doesn’t know if the fruit will fall and release it’s seeds; it doesn’t know anything. And yet, it continues this routine, year after year after year after year. It is trusting God. It is constantly worshiping God, by it’s growth, death, and rebirth.

As Christians, our life is full of risks. I have often times found God telling me to do something, even something simple as saying hello to someone, but not willing to take that risk. If we truly believe in our God, we have nothing to fear in the risks we take. Think of Abraham and his son Isaac: God told Abraham to sacrifice his son, the son God had promised to Abraham, and would be the father of the children of God, of all Israel. What a risk for Abraham, to go off and sacrifice his only son, his promised son. And yet, Abraham trusted God. The Bible tells us that Abraham trusted God, that he fully expected that God would raise Isaac from the dead. Wow. I want a trust like that.

Quite often the things we value most in our life are the things we have the hardest time trusting God with. In my life, I value my relationships more than anything else: if I see a brother or sister in need or hurting, I will drop whatever I am doing to help them as best I can. Frankly, relationships are one of the things in life we have almost complete control over. We can bring about times of joy, cause pain, comfort others, etc. Releasing the thing I value most, and have complete control of is very hard. I don’t struggle with trusting God with my financial situation, cause I have little control over that (yes, I can go get another job, but even then, I don’t know how that will work out), so it’s easy for me to trust God in that area. But in relationships, the area that I have more control of and value more, it’s very hard. God convicted me of this yesterday, showed me that I have never trusted Him when it came to my relationships. God has changed my approach to relationships a lot: I used to be quite content taking care of me, not caring about anyone else. Thankfully, God working through me has given me the opportunity to help people in need, to overcome the sinful nature that tells me to only worry about myself, and to sacrifice myself to other people, but I’ve never trusted Him in each and every relationship. I’ve given thanks to God for most (if not all of them), but He deserves so much more than “thanks,” He deserves to be given back what He has given.

Reread the second line of the first paragraph: The sprout grows strong, making due with where it is. The sprout doesn’t have any say as to where it has been placed, of where it has to grow; it has to try and grow right where it is. So it is with us. No matter where you are, you have been placed there, for a reason. That sprout may die, so we may die. That sprout may become a tree and grow flowers, so we may be a witness by our lives for God only. That tree may bear fruit, so we may bear fruit. Whatever purpose, where you are, God is there working through you. Don’t be upset that you’re not in Africa or Ecuador or India, rather know that God is growing you, where you are, and the fruit that you may bear could end up across the state, country, continent, or world. Be content, abide where, thrive in the place God has put you. He loves you, right where you are.

Let go of the acorn, let go of the seed. Let it separate…let it grow. Even if it’s not as successful as you may have hoped, it fulfilled God’s purpose, right where it was, as much as it grew. Rejoice in that.