a surprising life lesson from a Monstera plant

I have a Monstera plant in my living room. It’s the size of a growing child but makes slightly less mess than one. Thick stems intertwine with massive leaves in a glorious cascade of green and brighten up this corner of our home.

I’ve had it for almost two years now, and over the years of caring for it and watching it grow, I’ve learned a few things about life, God, and myself! Here is one of my reflections on my Monstera plant.

Growth is slow.

One day, I decided that I wanted to propagate my Monstera plant. I gently plucked a leaf, placed it in a jar of water, and set the jar by a window so the plant would receive plenty of light and nutrients. I figured that it would quickly grow roots and I would soon have another plant in my home.

I waited.

And waited.

I thought this process would be quick. I have had fresh basil on my countertop in a glass of water and it sprouted roots within the week. I thought that this story would have the same ending.

It did not.

God specializes in redemptive storylines. He doesn’t follow your rules for a happily ever after, and He certainly isn’t limited by your imagination or previous experiences. He is able to accomplish infinitely more than you might ask or think (Ephesians 3:20) Where you see an ending, God sees the full picture. While your vision is limited, God is able to see what is happening below the surface. Most importantly, God is not in a hurry.

It was several months before the tiniest, hair’s breadth root appeared. I barely paid heed to it because it obviously wasn’t a strong enough root to plant.

I was hoping for instant results – for the packaged ramen of the plant world, where you stick the leaf in the jar and you have a new plant within a few minutes. This Monstera, however, was not a quick fix. It was a slow burn. I discounted the tiny root because it felt too small to even be considered progress.

Too often, I discount my progress because it feels too small to matter. But really, it’s the small progress that matters the most. The invisible work you do matters. Character is made up of the things—including small things—that you do consistently. Ordinarily, it’s the small things that you keep on repeat that shape who you are the most.

That daily walk you take? It’s an investment into a healthier version of yourself. It might feel small and insignificant, but small progress every day adds up. 6,000 steps in a day might not seem like a lot, but what about 42,000 steps in a week, or 180,000 in a month? If you took an average of 6,000 steps every day for a year, you would take over 2 million steps! Small habits add up!

Reading 10 pages a day? It might be slow going, but if the average book you read is 300 pages, you’ll read a book per month. That’s approximately 12 books in a year by only reading for a few minutes each day! Seemingly invisible habits lay the groundwork for bigger victories.

Doing one small habit every day adds up to something much bigger. Writing 500 words is not a lot, but writing 500 words consistently every day? Memorizing one verse is not a lot, but memorizing a couple verses a week? The small things you choose matter!

By the same token, what if you’re spending an hour every day on social media? It doesn’t seem like a lot, but even if you only spent one hour per day on your phone, it would add up to 15 days out of your year! Small things add up. Small things, when assembled as parts to a whole rather than seen as individual efforts, add up to something much bigger than themselves.

Think of your habits as puzzle pieces. On their own, they aren’t much to look at, but when put together as a whole, they fit together to create a masterpiece.

Back to my Monstera plant. I was months in at this point and the root was still very miniscule and unimpressive. The Stewart Little of roots if ever there was one. But gradually, slowly, the root thickened and started to look like a real root instead of a missing hair. It got to the point where it looked healthy enough to plant. I was finally able to pot the leaf in nutrient soil and water it.

But do you know what? It took a long time.

There was a long period when the root lay dormant and it looked like no progress was being made. There will be times in your life when it will feel like you are not getting anywhere. There will be times when you feel hopeless and stuck. Let me remind you: this is not the place to give up. There is growth just below the surface. God is doing things that you haven’t even imagined yet. Keep on going, friend. Slow work is holy work.

Growth is slow. Often, you won’t have overnight success or even over many nights’ success. It takes grit, hard work, and determination to keep going when it feels like you’re not making any progress. But I promise you, if you keep showing up, you are making progress. However small, however incremental, progress is still progress.

Growth is slow. It took at least four months to be able to plant the leaf. It took four months to take root. If your growth is taking longer than you’d hoped, take heart! Things are happening, changing, and growing. God is doing things that you can’t even fathom right now. All that’s asked of you is to be faithful and cling to Him. He’ll take care of the rest.

Growth is slow. Often painstakingly so. It can be agonizing. Wearying. But do not grow weary of doing good! Because while growth is slow and often invisible to your eyes, God has not abandoned you. You can’t see what He is doing, but rest assured that He is doing good.

None of this is to say that God is trying to teach you a lesson by allowing this season in your life. God is kind and He is your highest good. He won’t stand around and watch you shrivel up, waiting for you to finally get it before He blesses you and opens your eyes to what He’s doing.

C.S. Lewis writes,

“I do not know why there is this difference, but I am sure that God keeps no one waiting unless He sees that it is good for him to wait.

When you do enter your room, you will find that the long wait has done you some kind of good which you would not have had otherwise.

But you must regard it as waiting, not as camping. You must keep on praying for light: and of course, even in the hall, you must begin trying to obey the rules which are common to the whole house.

And above all you must be asking which door is the true one; not which pleases you best by its paint and paneling.”

Growth is slow.

But do not grow weary of doing good. Because while growth is slow, growth is still happening even when you can’t see it. Little by little, every day. Embrace the small habits you engage in every day. The little stuff matters. You are not going to see the progress overnight, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

Hold on, friend! You don’t know how close you are to your breakthrough.