Bamboo was used since ancient times. A highly useful material, it has been used by manand is still being used for a number of different purposes. It’s one of the most popular andinfluential plants in the world. What makes it so special and what can it teach you?
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A great lesson of patience, persistence and hard work can be learned from the story of planting Chinese bamboo. Unlike most other plants, Chinese bamboo is quite unique on its own.. .
The same is true for our children. Parents, who patiently work in teaching their children values
and build strong character while overcoming adversity and challenge, grow a
strong internal foundation. Had the Chinese bamboo farmer dug up his little
seed every year to see if it was growing, he would have stunted the tree’s
growth. We ask our little children to sit still and have patience. Much better
lesson if we’re demonstrating that behavior.
A great lesson of patience, persistence and hard work can be learned from the story of planting Chinese bamboo. Unlike most other plants, Chinese bamboo is quite unique on its own.. .
When you Prepare the ground, plant a small
bamboo seed, water, and fertilize it for a whole year, and...except for a tiny
sprout…
NOTHING HAPPENS!
Continue to water it regularly, and fertilize it for a second year, and then to your amazement…
NOTHING HAPPENS!
You will peer at it from all sides to discern if perhaps from some hidden place, something is growing?
You will peer at it from all sides to discern if perhaps from some hidden place, something is growing?
NOTHING HAPPENS!
Year Three
Water it, fertilize it lovingly clear the
weeds away, and then …
NOTHING HAPPENS! How discouraging!
You planted your seed with love and hope.
You obtained the best soil. You watered it faithfully and gave it the best
fertilizer. Your reward?
NOTHING HAPPENS!
You look around, noticing all the other
plants in the garden have grown in the leaps and bounds, stunning the eyes with
their vibrant growth and life, gladdening the heart!
But from your precious Bamboo seed ?
NOTHING HAPPENS!
For four you will see nothing, except a
tiny shoot sprouting from a bulb, no bigger than it was the first year. You can
sing to it, encourage it, challenge it, get angry and throw up your hands in
frustration.
You will want to pounce on it and stomp the
life out of it!
Then just when you are ready to call it
quits and lay down your watering can…
Sometime during the fifth year…you are
about to witness a miracle …In the six0 weeks that follow, the Chinese bamboo
tree grows as much as three feet per day, until it grows to be NINETY FEET TALL
!!!!!
Did the little tree lie dormant for four years only to grow
exponentially in the fifth? Or, was the little tree growing underground,
developing a root system strong enough to support its potential for outward
growth in the fifth year and beyond? The answer is, of course, obvious. Had the
tree not developed a strong unseen foundation it could not have sustained its
life as it grew.
The same is true for our children. Parents, who patiently work in teaching their children values
and build strong character while overcoming adversity and challenge, grow a
strong internal foundation. Had the Chinese bamboo farmer dug up his little
seed every year to see if it was growing, he would have stunted the tree’s
growth. We ask our little children to sit still and have patience. Much better
lesson if we’re demonstrating that behavior.