Becoming! (Dedicated...)

Becoming in most cases happens in the obscure, quiet, mundane places of doing life.

As a young Christian believer in bible college, my one prayer was:

‘Lord, make me fruitful’.

I was burdened and preoccupied with what my gift and calling was. I loved to watch, listen to, and learn from others who were bearing 'fruit’. Marvelling at the diversity of gifts and stunning abilities on display in other students. Everyone around me seemed to have a lot of them. What this 'fruit' was or would look like was a complete mystery, but I was fixated on it anyway. 

To aggravate the issue, the leaders at the time thought they knew what everyone's fruit should be, and if you were not bearing that version of 'fruitfulness' then you were not fruitful. You were there but taking up precious space. Now I know that was not intentional, but unfortunately, that was how most of us slow ones felt at the time. We just could not keep up with fruit-bearing machine.

But, what is the natural process of bearing fruit?

We know its not the same for every kind of tree, shrub, or herb. And, it is not by an act of the will, or by sweat and blood.

A tomato is very different from an oak tree, but they are both fruit that proceed from seed.  So, which is of more value?

If I am making a bowl of salad today, I need some ripe tomatoes. If in future I will need shade, I hope an oak tree is growing somewhere that would provide shade for me twenty or thirty years down the line.

Fruit therefore is relative, dependent on time and intent.

God determines the seed and the fruit, its time and place. The timing and intent are the pivots that make the difference.

If you are a tomato, please don’t try to be an oak tree. Be a cheerful tomato!

If you are an oak tree, be consistent, be patient and persevere under even the most severe winds of adversity so you can grow big and bountiful as you are meant to be. We will need the safety, security and stability of your shade much later in life.

God has lovingly provided all we need for this life, and for eternity.

His love, grace and wisdom is infinite!

He knows the future, if only we could have a bigger and higher perspective of His creation, election, salvation, redemption, appointment and assignment. And the beauty and mystery of His will and ways. Like fingerprints, the destiny of each of us is unique and different on purpose. Therefore, all we need to do is obey - breathe, live, love, laugh, give, forgive, and we become.

We Become

Fruit is not willed. The seed determines the outcome, not the will. We can’t will what only God can do. We live and as we go, we grow and become.

After decades of praying and stressing over my fruit or lack thereof, one day on a long flight somewhere as I pondered, a scripture popped into my mind:

‘But by the grace of God I am what I am’ - 1 Corinthians 15:10

I looked it up and kept it hidden in my heart. What I really wanted though was a specific label, like a great evangelist, teacher, or such like, something concrete that I was familiar with based on the historical and contemporary models I had read about and seen.

So for decades, I had no idea who or what I was called to be or do I did whatever was in front of me with the skills, qualities and abilities I had. Taking each step and each day as it came while staying in devotion to God, in fellowship with my church community and serving along the way.

This was my thinking:

I don’t want to be a flower, I want to bear fruit! Flowers bloom and look amazing, but they are simply colourful, sentimental ornaments that have no real significance.

So to avoid being a flower, I worked faithfully and served joyfully within my career and community. I though I did well in some cases and in some maybe not too well, but great lessons were learnt in both. There were some however that were life-forming, added significant value in lessons and kept me rooted for long seasons. I now greatly appreciate those trying and enduring seasons of being grounded.

What I did not realise was during all those decades of wondering and wandering something was happening - through the good, the bad and the ugly, I was slowly becoming.  Just like we all do in long seasons of patiently waiting, enduring and persevering in obedience.

It came to a head on a long drive and again pressing for answers:

"Where is my fruit? What is my legacy? What have I achieved? Who am I? Where am I going?"

(These are valid questions that we should all ask periodically to keep on track and balanced).

This time though suddenly, I heard in my heart a stern but loving:

What is wrong with being a flower?

What? I had not thought of that!

What is really wrong with flowers?

When God speaks its as if all creation is silenced and one has to take off ones shoes and listen.

Suddenly, the value and significance of the gift of flowers came flooding into my mind:

• What seasons of life require flowers, why?

• Why do we love flowers?

• How do we respond / react when we receive flowers, why?

Flowers are sent and given for so many occasions (happy and sad), milestones, anniversaries, and to express different emotions such as gratitude, sympathy, love, etc. I found at least 60 reasons to send flowers.

And, every new day is reason enough to get a flower!

But, why does it connect emotionally when someone gives us a beautiful bouquet of flowers?

A Florist says it well:

‘When looking at flowers, our brains release three different hormones which create happiness: dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin. Dopamine is released when you see or smell flowers because the vibrant colours and lovely aromas trigger an association with something good, which makes us happy…’

Flowers act just like the Gift of Encouragement!

The Gift of Encouragement is one of the most important gifts because it releases the happy hormones that motivates us to forge ahead and use our resources to be and do our very best. Just like flowers spread joy when celebrating, and give comfort when sad. They connect with our emotions.

Encouragement helps us Fans into Flame Our Full Potential

The gift of encouragement is hearing exactly what we need to hear at the pivotal time that keeps us going. It affirms, gives life, and has the ability to shift a life's trajectory.

This gift is so important and precious that it is rare in its purest form. Though similar to the gift of flowers, the effect has life transforming qualities as it demonstrates to the recipient that they are seen, heard, known, and appreciated – when that knowledge is crucial.

Someone who exemplified this gift is Barnabas. He was so good at it that the early church called him the 'Son of Encouragement'. His gift was pivotal at critical times for the key actors during that time.

It is amazing.

I suddenly realized I had been exercising this gift all these years.

In all the places I have walked and done life because it came so naturally to me and I had done it for so long, I had taken it for granted. I did not count or consider it as a gift and the results as 'fruit'. I  had been an encourager in corporate settings, in the community, in teams, groups, one-to-ones, family meetings, with leaders, workers; with the weak, with the strong, the low and the high.

In an instant, faces and places came flooding in and I was greatly encouraged, relieved and humbled remembering the outcomes of conversations, mentoring meetings, work situations, and so many instances when I had done what was so natural to me – Encourage.

I realised finally and knew I had lived a life of significance. Lives have been changed and destinies shaped by this gift of encouragement and exhortation that is God given.

But, it has all been done in the quiet, mundane and obscure places of doing life.

It did not look anything like what I thought or was taught. It has been a lifelong process, not a star performance or a platform ministration but a lifetime of investing while living, learning, loving, growing, and giving.

Also, because the gift of encouragement comes so naturally, I thought it was common. It took a while to realize that was not the case. It is rare.

It was alarming when I was at my lowest that no one around me had a clue what to say or do! My family and friends, both Christians and none, just looked on and shook their heads in bewilderment. I felt isolated and unsupported, and then realised how precious encouragement is. And, that it is a gift!

There is pain all around us if we are observant and encouragement is greatly needed. The matter is compounded with social media that disconnects and isolates us with algorithms and makes us feel the grass is always greener on the other side.

How should we respond?

Our feet get dirty on many occasions because we live in the world, so Jesus taught us to wash our feet often. Simply, to realign our hearts and minds to what is right and true daily.

What mercy and grace!

The world needs encouragers and encouragement. The outward display of success should not fool us. The pain threshold is high and gets higher by the day with social media.Every person great and small needs to be acknowledged, commended and affirmed periodically. God wired us that way to be connected and cared for by each other.

Correction does much, but encouragement does more. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

To help us get unstuck!

In conclusion, we do not need to stress whether we are a fruit, a flower, a tomato or an oak tree. Life has a way of shaping us into what we are intended to be.

Time and chance happen to all. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later. As we stay rooted, engage in life and embrace every season with hope; we can trust God to work and weave each thread into a tapestry of beauty and purpose.

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I would like to dedicate this article

to an incredible worker who gave his life to service at a very early age. He has trained many all over the world to be courageous workers through his God's Generals series.

I learned the notion of Becoming from sitting in his classes

in California, many, many years ago.

Observing, watching and listening...

Dr. Roberts Liardon

Thank you.

by

elizabeth o. david