Dear Shaper,
I know this may sound strange. Some people will read it and think it's odd, or it's probably trivial. But I want to say it anyway, because I think it is important.
And it is this: in the forest of life, depending on the tree you are growing, there are certain investments you have to make that other trees may never have to make. I like to call it the shaper's dilemma.
Let me put it this way.
When a farmer plants maize versus when a farmer plants an oak tree, the level of investment before anything shows above the ground are not the same. A maize plant is usually ready in a few months. An oak tree, however, at the six-month mark, may have not even broken the surface of the ground yet. The process for each is different based on the kind of seed.
Now imagine the two of them were planted on the same day. Just imagine. Imagine how that feels for the oak. Before it knows it, the maize has sprouted. It's blooming. It's doing all of these things. It's producing fruit. And the oak is still underground.
If you were the oak tree, how would you feel? Obviously you'd be very frustrated. Very, very frustrated. You'd be saying, "What is even going on out here? We got planted at the same time. Are we not both seeds?
However, due to the oak tree's nature, and because of the kind of fruit it's going to bear, the kind of height it's going to attain, the kind of value it's going to be to people, the growth and developmental stages have to be very strong and stable so it can actually stand — and stand well. Because a lot of people are going to be drawing value from this oak tree, it's going to have to be immovable, it's going to have to be deeply rooted, it's going to have to be well rounded, it's going to have to have immense depth and breadth so people can actually depend on it.
As for the maize plant, a 12-year-old can simply use a knife to cut it off, and it will just fall. But an oak tree? You're going to need a machete. Even a machete might not be enough. You probably would need heavy machinery to cut this down. And even then, its highly advanced root system gives it reinforcement.
So to a frustrated young lady, a frustrated young man, who feels like, "What kind of preparation is this? How come I'm going through all this preparation? Why does it feel super difficult? Why is it taking so long?" — I don't know exactly what it is you are facing. But I know this: you have to stay the path.
You cannot say, "I'm going to uproot myself and become maize," just because it is taking a while. And that is the tendency some of us have. We see the maize grown and blossoming, and we think, let me just uproot myself, become maize, produce quickly, and get the applause of men.
But this is where you have to die to self. You have to die to self. You have to die to the need to prove a point to somebody. You have to die to the need to stand and look however somebody else wants you to look. You have to rise above it all, by knowing who you are.
You are an oak tree. Oaks are trans-generational blessings — generations are going to be blessed because you decided to stand. Because you decided to only be moved by your purpose and assignment, and not by what others may think of you. So hold on to this. Refuse to let the people around you intimidate you. Refuse to let them make you feel some type of way. Know who you are. That's the thing — you have to know who you are. Because if you don't, you will let maize intimidate you. You will let maize make you feel like there's something is wrong with you. You will let maize make you feel like you have been left behind. No, you are simply in process.
As an oak tree, there is a way you carry yourself that may make maize ask, "Who do you think you are? I can't even see that much fruit. I can't even see all the branches." But you have to see beyond sight. You have to see with the eyes of your heart. And you have to know who you are in spite of all of it. You have to stay the path, and you have to stay focused.
Don't uproot your oak seed and start planting maize out of impatience. Be patient. Patience is key. Let people laugh at you. Let people look down on you. Let people think whatever they want to think. You, stay the path and keep going, because many are going to thank God that you persevered.
And the thing is, there's nothing wrong with maize either. There's nothing wrong with maize. It's just that, you need to not allow the actions and reactions of maize to make you feel like there's something wrong with you. You have to resist the temptation of wanting to become maize, or wanting to uproot your seed and plant maize so that it happens quicker, so that it happens faster. No.
The shortcut never gets you there. As an oak tree, it's in your nature. Even when you uproot the oak tree and you go for the maize option, you're never really going to be satisfied, because you know what you're capable of on the inside. You know you're an oak tree. So the outputs, or the expressions and the fruits, of the maize are never truly going to satisfy you anyway.
This is the shaper's dilemma — and the only way through it is to persevere. You have to stay the path. You have to embrace the process. It's very, very important.
So yeah. This is a quick message to whoever feels like, "Why is it taking so long? I'm tired." Just know who you are. Know who you are. Stay the path, keep your vision in front of you, keep your goals in front of you, and keep it moving.
All right. Until next time. Take care. Stay blessed. And remember who you are.