Sometimes growth doesn’t stall because it’s neglected—but because it’s contained. Scripture reminds us that formation is not produced by striving harder, but by sinking roots deeper. The invitation is not to do more, but to release what limits growth and trust God with the slow, faithful work of transformation.

Sometimes growth stalls not because it’s neglected, but because it’s contained. Through the quiet wisdom of Leona Martin, I learned that healthy plants can still outgrow their containers—and that protection, when held too long, can become restriction. Scripture reminds us that God doesn’t describe His people as houseplants, but as oaks of righteousness, planted for lasting impact.

Sometimes clarity about our gifts doesn’t come because someone names them for us—it comes because we see them come alive in action. In Luke 2, Jesus is found in the temple, fully engaged in the place where His gifts naturally surface. Often, faithful participation reveals what prolonged analysis cannot. God meets us in motion and invites us to keep showing up with humility and trust.

One of the ways we begin to recognize the gifts God has placed in us is when someone else sees it before we do. Scripture shows us that God often uses shepherds, mentors, and trusted voices to name what we can’t yet articulate in ourselves. Gift discovery doesn’t always begin with certainty—it often begins with trust.

We don’t always recognize the full value of a gift at the moment we receive it. Often, what feels ordinary at first reveals itself over time to be far better than we expected. In Ephesians 3, Paul reminds believers that the issue isn’t access to God’s work—it’s our capacity to recognize it. God may be doing more in you than you currently have the depth to see.