UPFRONT July 5, 2010 ISSUE

ON THE GROW

STEVE GRAHAM,

If there's one thing my friends are tired of hearing me talk about, I'm quite certain it's bamboo. My utter fascination with this plant has led me to monitor a spreading patch of it that grows gracefully on township land off a busy highway near home. Throughout the past spring, Sunday afternoons have found me bushwhacking through surrounding vines and brambles, eagerly watching the week's bamboo-related developments, as initially invisible shoots have emerged from the ground and pushed their way upward, surpassing last year's growth with amazing speed.

This little pastime has also helped me think about the kind of spiritual development we're considering in this issue. There are at least three ways (and no doubt more!) in which our growth in understanding God and our ability to heal through prayer can be bamboo-like: We can trust that we're setting down a sturdy root system, even when nothing seems to be happening to the eyes. We can cover new territory all the time. And we can, should, expect to rise to new heights, surpassing past attainments.