Forgive me all you green fingered genii… you know this isn’t my forte. BUT… as we start to come out of lockdown I was thinking about seeds and the idea of potting up. Why do we plant seeds in little pots in the first place? Basically to look after them in their fragile and immature nature. A seedling needs to be nurtured and cared for so that it gets just the right amount of moisture, the right amount of space, avoids being crowded by other plants and roots…

However, there comes a time when the seed needs to be repotted. The seed needs a larger growing space because left in its small pot the roots would become crowded and compacted. Without enough space, the plant would experience stunted growth. It wouldn’t reach its full potential. And, it could even die.

Isaiah 54:2 says, “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.”

People were not made for lockdown. We were not made for isolation. We were not made for separation. We were made for growth, for enlarging, for expansion, for community and intimacy. It might feel scary to re-enter the world after lockdown. As NZ goes through the different stages of returning to ‘normal’ (what even is that?!) you might be feeling anxious about expanding your horizons and seeing others again. But do not hold back.

Do not hold back from people. Do not hold back from sharing your lives. Do not hold back from allowing God to repot you into this new and more expansive place. “He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me” (Psalm 18:19). God is in the business of continually ‘potting up’ his people. He doesn’t want you to remain stagnant and squashed.

So don’t hold back. Go enlarge your pot bit by bit knowing that He desires growth for you and brings you to a spacious place because he delights in you!