By Ezrica Bennett
October 9, 2024
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During my undergraduate years, my biology professor shared a devotion centered around the story “The Bamboo and the Fern.” I revisit that story often, especially during seasons when I’m tempted to compare my journey with others.
In the story, a man on the verge of giving up has a conversation with God. God directs him to the forest to observe the bamboo and the fern. God explains that the first year He planted the seeds for both plants He nurtured and watered them equally. Soon enough, the fern began to flourish with vibrant green leaves spreading across the forest floor, but the bamboo showed no growth. The second year, the fern continued to thrive, becoming lush and dense, while the bamboo’s growth remained unchanged. This pattern repeated in the third and fourth years with the fern flourishing and the bamboo still dormant. Finally, in the fifth year, the bamboo began to grow, and within six months, it soared over a hundred feet tall. While the fern grows quickly and widely, the bamboo takes time to establish deep roots that will support its impressive height.
This parable resonated with me because my life has often felt anything but normal. As an international student, it took me eight years to earn a degree that typically takes four. I watched as my friends moved on, pursued advanced degrees, became physicians, spouses, and parents while I waited, grappling with cycles of anticipation and disappointment. Like the bamboo, year after year passed, and there was still no discernible sign of growth.
Recently, I have come to understand that the discovery of purpose, identity, and calling often unfolds more slowly and less visibly than we might desire. There have been many seasons where I was forced to sit in the silence of the unknown. I became well acquainted with celebrating my friends’ victories while navigating my own disappointments. I am all too familiar with the pangs of my longings and losses echoing in my heart. There were years where it felt my prayers were unheard and unanswered, but like the bamboo in the story, what seemed like a lack of progress was actually the development of deep roots God was cultivating in me. If you are in a season where it feels as if time is moving forward but growth and progress feel stagnant, here are four lessons you can pull from the parable of the bamboo and the fern.
- I Am Not the Fern, and That’s Okay: There is no value in comparing yourself to others. The adage “comparison kills” may at times seem redundant, but it holds a timeless truth. Learning to accept that you are not the fern is the first step to accepting your path, celebrating your journey, and ultimately celebrating the outcome.
- Honor the Unseen: Isaiah 55:8–9 reminds us that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are not our ways. When you look at different narratives in the Bible, you get a glimpse of the way God works. His actions are methodical and calculated. He sets things in motion decades before you see the result. Think of Joseph who was placed in a position to help Egypt survive famine decades before it happened, or Moses whose life began floating down the Nile River but was being positioned by God to be the deliverer long before the Israelites knew deliverance was on the horizon. Just because you can’t see God working doesn’t mean He is not.
- God Is Not in a Hurry: I once saw a quote that said, “God is not in a hurry; you are, which is why you’re anxious and exhausted.” I believe God can move with intentionality because He knows the outcome. There is no scarcity, no anxiety on His end. He knows that it turns out for good, and He gave us that assurance in Romans 8:28. So, we can have the confidence, as expressed in Hebrews 12:1, to run with patience the race set before us.
- God Never Leaves Things Unfinished: Philippians 1:6 reminds us that we can be confident that if God began a good work in us, He will perform it until completion. So, in those seasons when it doesn’t feel good, remind yourself that if it’s not good, then it’s not finished.
For many years, I resented being “bamboo.” I’ve shed more tears than I can remember, feeling that life was unfair and wishing for a more traditional path. But now I stand in confidence, filled with gratitude for the lessons I’ve learned as I’ve waited, and looking forward with great hope and anticipation, trusting that the years spent growing deep roots will yield abundant fruits.
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Ezrica Bennett, Polaris Fellow 2023
Ezrica Bennett is a writer and young adult leader who is passionate about curating opportunities for connection and belonging. She gets excited about helping others navigate their relationships with God, themselves, and others in authentic and meaningful ways. She is currently working on publishing devotional books and several children’s books in the near future.
