<a href="https://imgur.com/ueI6Glr"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/ueI6Glr.jpg" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>[Source](https://pixabay.com/en/bamboo-forest-nature-green-natural-1886974/)

The Chineses Bamboo Tree has become famous over the last couple of years. Just about every motivational speaker out there has used it in illustrations. Very soon everybody will know about the Chinese Bamboo Tree. This tree has a message for you. A truly inspiring one. And if you do not know what it is yet, you will after reading this!

To grow Chinese Bamboo from seeds requires constant nurturing just like any other plant. They need fertile soil, water and sunshine in the right amounts. Initially, the farmer will feel as if he is nurturing the soil as the seeds are buried and not visible to him.

I think it takes a bit of faith for the farmer to continue nurturing the bamboo seeds even though he sees no progress. This is true of everything that you can plant. Nothing happens in the first day or two. Or week. Sometimes a month or two. Here is the unique thing about the Chinese Bamboo Tree.

Nothing can be seen in the **first year**. No sign of any growth. None! Yet the nurturing needs to continue. 

In the **second year**, nothing can be seen again! No sign of any progress. Yet the nurturing needs to continue.

In the **third year**, there is still no sign of growth. There is no evidence that there are any bamboo trees anywhere. But still the nurturing has to continue!

In the **fourth year**, it is very much the same. The nurturing continues but nothing can be seen. There is only soil. Four whole years later!

Then somewhere in the **fifth year**, something happens. The bamboo plant breaks through the ground. And in only six weeks it grows to more than 26 meters high. **Six weeks! 26 meters!**

Do you see the encouragement in this?

You can hear the following motivation in this.
1. Don't give up!
1. Sometimes you have to wait a long time. Wait it out!
1. Don't give up!
1. Don't stop nurturing even though you see no progress!
1. Don't give up!
1. Don't look at what you see. Remember what you put in!
1. Don't give up!

I love to encourage people not to give up. I think giving up is the only fatal mistake you can make. You only have to get up **one** more time than what you fall down. As long as you are in it possibilities exist. The moment you walk away, all those possibilities cease to exist.

However, today I want to remind you that not every seed you plant is a Chinese Bamboo Tree seed. There are some things of which you do need to let go. There are strategies and methods that you need to change. There are projects that will never work, whether you wait five or fifty years.

We live in a quick-fix society and everything needs to be instant. It is good to be reminded to persevere, __to not give up!__ We give up way too easily on too many things. And we hold on too long onto others. The key is the wisdom to know when to let go and when to hold on.

Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971) penned the following prayer. Let's pray it as we consider the thoughts in this blog.

<center>
> God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change; 
courage to change the things I can; 
and wisdom to know the difference.

> Living one day at a time; 
enjoying one moment at a time; 
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; 
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it; 
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will; 
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next. 
Amen.</center>

<br>
@reonlouw
<a href="https://imgur.com/Qp4tJ6A"><img src="https://i.imgur.com/Qp4tJ6A.png" title="source: imgur.com" /></a>

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