The Bamboo That Didn't Grow

Every morning he watered the soil. Every evening he checked for signs of growth.

Weeks passed. Nothing.

Months passed. Still nothing.

The ground looked exactly the same as the day he planted the seeds.

His neighbors laughed and asked why he was wasting water on empty dirt.

But the farmer kept watering.

Year after year, he cared for the soil even though nothing appeared above the surface.

Then one spring morning, a small green shoot finally broke through the earth.

Within weeks, the bamboo shot upward faster than anything else in the field.

In a short time, it grew taller than the trees around it.

The neighbors were stunned and asked how it grew so quickly.

The farmer smiled and said, 'It didn't grow in weeks. It was growing for years.'

What they couldn't see was what had been happening underground.

The bamboo had been building a deep, strong network of roots.

Only when the foundation was ready did the visible growth begin.