Sprout

A seed contains all the nutrients it needs to begin. It only needs to be placed into soil for the right temperature, water, and oxygen. As the water mixes with the nutrients, the seed germinates. It sprouts.

That sprout quickly exhausts the seed’s supply. So, it grows roots, reaching new nutrients and anchoring into the ground. Leaves poke through the soil, but just enough due to the small amount of nutrients.

As the roots spread, more leaves grow. The plant enters the vegetative stage. Its roots seek nitrogen, the leaves capture sunlight, and it begins to convert its own energy through photosynthesis.

With its own energy supply, the stems strengthen. The roots grow deeper and more sturdy. The plant transitions to the flowering stage. Its roots and stems can support flowers or fruits.

Sometimes I am a sprout. I see ripened fruit and feel inadequate. I am not that. I can’t even imagine myself as that. My roots are too shallow, my stems too weak.

In a plant’s life, each stage is the perfect stage for that plant. I may not have clarity on where I am going to end up, but I am everything I need to be right now. I can grow and develop, but I have everything I need right here. Right where I am.

Have I mistaken not yet for not enough? Do I appreciate the quiet growth happening below the surface? Will I seek the needed nutrients for what is next?

Be curious, be kind, be whole, do good things.