The pace of growth and maturity in the Christian life is not like a mushroom; it’s like an oak tree. A mushroom sprouts overnight and vanishes just as fast. An oak tree begins from an acorn by sending a deep taproot straight down into the earth before it begins working its way into the sky. The oak grows slowly, with deep roots to endure droughts, absorb rain, and withstand harsh seasonal changes, and while the tree looks more alive in the summer than in the winter, it’s always alive. “The full-grown oak that overtops the wood, spreads its branches wide, and has struck its roots to a
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