On Monday, Harvey and I planted some saplings that the Eden Place neighborhood association was kind enough to donate to us. We were thinking it might be a hard job. It wasn't. The trees were tiny. Really tiny. They aren't much to look at. In fact you have to be standing on top of the things to even see them. As we were planting them, a neighbor walked by and told us they were going to take forever to grow. They are Live Oak saplings, about 5 feet tall.

The thing is, if those trees are cared for, they will grow into beautiful, strong trees. If they are cared for, watered and fed, they are going to thrive. It will take a long time. Many of us will not be around to see them in all of their glory. But we planted them in expectation of what they will become.
 
In our age of microwaves and real estate flipping, it is difficult to remember, difficult to comprehend, that many, probably most, endeavors of value take time and consistency. Becoming a disciple of Jesus, which I believe is life's most worthy endeavor, takes a long time. Sometimes I get frustrated that I am not becoming who God says I can be fast enough. Sometimes I want to (and occasionally I do) quit. But with spiritual growth, as in other great journeys, the process is just as important as the destination. And often we cannot even see the growth until we look behind us and see how far we have come.
 
If you're ready to plant, to start the process of becoming a Spirit-led, Spirit-filled disciple of Jesus Christ, I've posted a few thoughts about that on my

blog

. And I would love to talk to you about it