Wild Sprouts

I was working in my garden yesterday, adding some cucumbers, planting peppers. That’s when I noticed it, a wild yellow squash plant coming up. Unplanted. Unplanned. It was emerging between two tomato plants. It was right where my squash plants had been last year.

If left alone it would continue to grow, but soon it would battle for space with the tomato plants towering beside it. I could kill it, after all it was a wild sprout. I could transplant it, water it, cultivate it, and perhaps enjoy its fruit. If it thrived we would enjoy summer squash. Since I had not planted any other squash, it would be the only squash we might reap this summer.

Leaders are constantly looking for sprouts of new leaders, emerging leaders springing up around them. They are often wild, planted by the will of the Spirit. Sometimes they are in the shadow of other leaders. Sometimes they crowd others for space as they pursue their purpose. Sometimes other leaders overshadow them with their strength. Some leaders are unsure if they want their presence in their garden. But a leader sees their emergence as opportunity; a leader knows that when planted in the right environment that emerging sprouts of leadership with thrive. Cultivated and nurtured, the wild plant will grow and bear fruit.

Around you today are sprouts emerging, are new leaders popping up seeking to discover their role in the Great Leader’s Kingdom?

Go ahead nurture the wild sprouts.