There’s a cherry blossom tree plant that my wife and I planted in front of our house recently. We got a great deal on it, and it even came with a bamboo stalk attached to help support it in the early stages of growth. It was fairly small when we bought it, but despite it’s size, it required quite a bit of work involved to plant it and ensure that it would grow well. We had to dig a two by one foot hole in the ground for it to sit in, build a trench out of the dirt so any rainwater that fell would stay near the roots, and then lay down soil and mulch around the base of the tree to nurture and protect its roots. On top of that, the tree is supposed to be watered nearly every day for the first year after it’s planted. After all that work, we were able to see it bloom its beautiful pale pink flower petals for a week or so, before they fell off and it began its time of green growth over the late spring and summer. I kept up the recommended watering over the past couple months, and over time noticed that the tree did sprout more green leaves, but didn’t noticeably grow at all. It then occurred to me that we forgot to remove the bamboo stalk after the tree’s roots had grown in. We had prepared the environment as best as possible to support the growth of the tree, but we had neglected to remove its “training wheels”. We had effectively stunted its growth. Once I removed the bamboo stalk, I didn’t see signs of growth immediately, but about a week later, I noticed the branches were beginning to spread outward. I felt the Lord speaking to me through this tree, about how we sometimes choose to leave on or live with restraints. Either due to the fear of man, fear of success, or fear of change. That fear can stifle our growth and cause us to remain in a place of passivity. But when we choose to break out of those ideas or mindsets that are holding us back, we will see advancement in the areas of our life we put focus in. On a personal note, I had to deal with this in the past when it came to my own self-confidence. I thought if I humbled myself by down-playing compliments or denying my strengths I would leave room for the Lord to amplify me, but I just ended up partnering with self-doubt. When I released my actual feelings, both internally and to the Lord in prayer, I stopped holding myself back. Not only did my self-confidence increase drastically, but other people started responding more positively when they were around me. I’ll leave you with this verse in regards to the issue: Psalm 92:12-14 “12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; 13 planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God. 14 They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green”