Don’t Rush It
“This adulting stuff is SO MUCH FUN!” said no young person EVER!! I remember my mom telling me and me telling my children, “Don’t be in such a rush to grow up,” but I didn’t listen and neither did my kids. They wanted so badly to be independent, out from under the rule of mom and dad; what they didn’t consider is that requires a job, money, transportation…just to name a few things. They’re getting the hang of it now, and they’re doing well, but it was no picnic at first.
There’s a reason kids usually stick around through their teens and that’s because parents are providing not only financial support, but emotional and hopefully spiritual support as well. Even if our kids are rebellious and down right mean sometimes, they know it’s still better at home than out on the streets, alone and without. Since they were infants and we brought them home from the hospital, we’ve provided for our their every need, even as they grew up and started taking on small, then larger, responsibilities; the parents are still the main source of all their survival needs.
As I pondered this, I was reminded of the parable of the vine and the branches. Jesus taught the disciples that He is like a vine and God is the gardener and we are branches. A gardener knows to cut off branches that are dead or not bearing fruit. This gives more nutrients to the healthy plant. Jesus said no branch can bear fruit by itself, it must stay connected to the vine. Even though I know this is about us as believers, remaining in Him, so that we bear much fruit, I can relate it to the parenting issue above. If a child breaks away too soon from the love, support and guidance from his/her parents, their life is instantly made much more difficult and they may not be able to fulfill the purpose God has for them because they aborted the process too soon.
My daughter has a strawberry plant and I noticed it had many baby strawberries, still small and green. There were a couple starting to turn red, but not nearly red enough to be ripe. If those baby berries had a mom or dad, they’d be crying out to them, “I want to be a full-grown strawberry. I want people to love me like they love you guys.” But a good mom or dad strawberry would tell their little one, “All in good time, dear. Right now, you’d be bitter and not very pleasant. Remain in me and I will help you be the BEST strawberry you can be!” That is what Jesus is telling us. Don’t strain…just remain! Don’t struggle to grow up too fast, don’t try to be something you’re not. Remain in Him where all your needs are met, where love and support are free and bountiful. He wants you to be the BEST you that you can be!