As I got my coffee this morning, and made my way towards my Bible, I was praying for a nugget of resonance to appear on the page I opened up to today. I wanted to connect with the passage I was on in some way, so that I’d know it was time to write again. I wanted my fingers to start tingling. I’ve been slowly stepping through a devotional Bible for the last 10 months, and I’m currently on the Book of John. Throughout various sections of this Bible are reflections on certain passages, and the reflection of the passage I read today (John 4: 1-26) referenced Psalm 1:3 which says, “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.” Perfect. Of course.
It got me thinking back to a conversation I had a few days earlier with a good friend of mine. We were talking about how we “Type-A” personalities have a hard time sitting still and being patient. We always want to be doing, doing, doing. We want to be making things happen, taking steps towards a goal, making progress towards something. She said that she received good advice from another friend who reminded her that sometimes we just need to be still. We need to be patient and accept this stillness in our lives so that we can be ready for whatever the next step might be for us.
It’s like that psalm. We are trees, planted by a flowing, lovely, thirst-quenching stream. We yield our fruit (accomplish our goals, see our dreams come to fruition, realize success) . . . in season. We don’t wither when we’re not in season. We’re just called to be still, patient, faithful, and ready to bloom when the time is right. As difficult as it might be to be a tree, still and patient, it can be something beautiful and fulfilling as well. To be in the present moment, patient yet hopeful, that our hearts are being prepared to yield amazing fruit, and prosper at everything we do . . . . now, that’s worth waiting for!
