Girl hidden in pine branches via Unsplash
Who Are You

The blessing of being green

“The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know.” — Einstein

“I have no use for people who have learned the limits of the possible.” — Leonard of Quirm, The Last Hero

I am so green. And the more I learn, the more experience I have, the more I read, the more I engage and change and transform, the more I realize how truly green I am.

That’s the paradox of maturing in God: I become wiser by understanding how foolish I am.

This used to upset me. The futility! What’s the point of studying the Word and undergoing all this soul-surgery? Why bother working on anything—particularly myself—if I never arrive or mature?

But there’s freedom in perpetual greenness.

To be green is to be naïve, guileless, innocent. It’s also flourishing, lushness, and potential. It’s a state of being new, flexible, unlimited, and, perhaps most importantly, teachable.

It means I don’t have to know it all. That there is no done, no finish line, no bottom, no limit to how much I can grow. That I can enjoy the process and the challenge and be excited to find something new around each bend. That I hold tight to my Father’s hand as we walk and trust that wherever we’re going, He knows where, how, when, and why, even if I don’t. That no matter how much I do know, I can always say, “I don’t know—let’s find out,” without fear.

And that is where true wisdom is found.


“[…] walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” [Col 1:10 ESV]


This post is part of Five-Minute Friday. This week’s prompt is GREEN. If you’d like to join in the fun, click here!

18 thoughts on “The blessing of being green”

  1. There is great wisdom and wonder in being green in being teachable. I am 70 years old and still consider myself green and eager to learn. In the near future I hope to teach a series on the book of Proverbs to my friends in India using Zoom. They also are green and want to grow and learn. Thanks for sharing your insights! I might share them when I teach the class. 🙂

    1. You are far too kind!

      I love that you take a similar approach to life. Always being in a state of wonder and desiring to learn creates the most beautiful, satisfying life in God (at least, I think so). I think your students will absolutely benefit from your wisdom there!

    1. When I saw this as I looked around for a photo for the post, I immediately felt exactly what she’s feeling: pure wonder. I wish the photographer had left some credentials I could have linked to!

  2. It really seems now that I know
    a whole lot less than yesterday,
    for as I see horizons grow,
    old assumptions fall away
    to leave in place not emptiness,
    nor a void my soul rejects
    but rather space that may be blessed,
    in which compassion may collect
    to help me turn and look around
    to see others who may need aid,
    given without word or sound,
    nor with the demand I’m paid
    in any coin any might bring,
    except to know ’twas the right thing.

  3. I love this line of yours, and its reminder is something needful for me today:
    “That there is no done, no finish line, no bottom, no limit to how much I can grow.”

    ~ Cindie, FMF #27

    1. Isn’t it so wonderful that we can read the same book, the same words, over and over yet still find fresh understanding? What an amazing God! ?

  4. I used to struggle with not knowing the answers. In life group when asked what this scripture would mean to me I would feel panic, is this a test?

    I’m slowly learning that in God we are just learning, stepping out in faith.

    1. Aww, yes, I know exactly what you mean! When we’re put on the spot it’s much more difficult to come up with answers. You’re completely right, though, that we’re learning and growing in our faith, and God has so much patience for that. He *wants* us to work it out together with Him. It’s okay to say we don’t know–we can learn!

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