A few weekends ago, I scattered seeds in the planter boxes in my backyard. I’m a rudimentary gardener at best but I do put whatever skill that I have to work in a small garden our family has out back. Daily, the kids and I have checked the dirt for any signs that the seeds have sprung to life and this week they finally have! Tiny bright green leaves are promisingly breaking through the soil and opening toward the sun, budding into zinnias, herbs, squash, cucumbers, peppers, and tomato plants.
It’s so exciting to watch a garden grow but it also requires a ton of time and continuous effort. Yet, I plant and harvest again and again, year after year, because I don’t think God has used anything to teach me more about life. With my hands in the loam, He reveals to me His principals, character, and technique for allowing His creation to thrive. So, as we dive into April, I felt like this was the opportune time for us to talk about three of these lessons God has taught me on my knees before Him tending to a plant…
1. Some seeds make it and others don’t.
When you scatter seeds, some inevitably do not take root and begin to grow. They get picked off by my chickens, the rain washes them away, or for whatever reason they are just a bad seed. However, this doesn’t keep me from planting. Ecclesiastes 11:6 says, “Sow you seed in the morning and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.” We have to plant and be willing to work hard if we want to reap any harvest at all in our lives. We might not experience growth in all areas, but, if we sow our dreams, efforts, and longings that align with God’s heart and Word into good soil, something will grow. 2. A plant will only grow as big as its pot. I have a lemon and a lime tree. Because we don’t live in a climate that is warm year round, I keep them in pots so I can bring them inside during colder seasons. While they’re healthy and beautiful, they will never get any bigger unless I move them into larger pots. They will never ever reach their full height because they won’t be planted in the ground where their roots can run free. Why? Containers tell the roots there is a boundary and the plant stops growing thinking it’s reached its full potential. This makes me think about 1 Corinthians 2:9 which says, “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived— the things God has prepared for those who love him.” If we box in our understanding of God, our faith will only grow as much as the container we’ve put in. However, when we’re planted in Christ’s freedom, God can grow anything because we’ve given Him no limits. 3. Pruning at the right time is essential. Our front porch is flanked by two giant rose bushes. They’re stunning and produce the most beautiful, romantic red roses each year. Looking at them overwhelming our porch, bursting with flowers and color in midsummer, you’d never guess that in late fall we cut those bushes practically in half. Pruning them back actually promotes their growth. This brings us to John 15:2 where Jesus teaches us, “Every branch in me that bears no fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit.” When God is cutting something out of our life, it can hurt. It may not make sense. However, He is the master gardener. He’s cutting something away at just the right time so that our lives can bear more fruit. We can trust that something better and more beautiful will always come after the pruning process, but we may have to wait to see the result. We often want a harvest at all times in our lives. At least I do. It’s tempting to think that if I’m not growing at a rapid rate and always displaying perfect fruit something is wrong. However, if we step into the garden, we see that nothing blooms all the time. For a good harvest, the land has to rest, seeds have to be cultivated, the dirt has to be watered and plants must spend time in the sun. When produce reaches its full potential, it can then (and only then) be picked and enjoyed. Then, the process starts all over again. We would do ourselves a favor to submit to these “unforced rhythms of grace” (as Matthew 11 in The Message Bible puts it) where we understand that it is our job to sow and tend to the seed but God’s to grow, release roots, and prune as He sees fit and in His time. It is then, through this hard work and submission, that we reap the greatest harvest in all areas of our lives.
Think About It:
1. What seeds is God calling your to sow in your life? 2. Are you trying to force anything to grow? What does it look like for you to hand over that process to God? 3. Where is God pruning you? What good do you see coming from that? Our Prayer: Lord, We plant ourselves in you and surrender to you all the seeds that we’ve sown. Continue to show us when to cultivate and when to harvest. Reveal to us your timing and help us to be patient as we wait on you to move in our lives, community, church, and within those we love. As we see the land begin to bloom, do something beautiful in our own lives. May we pause to notice your creativity and wonder at the way that seasons change. May it be spring in our hearts as well. In Jesus name, Amen
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