Gardening

Some of you may know that I like to garden. My grandfather and I gardened together when I was a little girl and it has always held a special place in my heart.
This year I decided to try to plant a garden from seeds. I knew that Grandpa had usually been able to plant seeds in the early spring, in the house, and then when the danger of frost had past, plant the new plants outside.

So I planted the seeds, seeds for tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, lettuces, everything that sounded good to me. Everyday I watched this tray of seemingly pointless dirt, watering it, spending hours of my life focused on getting those tiny seeds to sprout. After a couple of weeks the sprouts started, and the plants grew.

Now my garden is grown and I have literally spent hours weeding, watering, adding fertilizer, inspecting and harvesting the plants. Tomorrow we are having stuffed green peppers for dinner, I grew most of the ingredients, and I have to say I am rather proud of myself.

I have wondered why Jesus often used examples of gardening, things growing, to teach.

How do we plant seeds?
Seeds come from full grown plants - you can't take seeds from a baby plant, there is no fruit from which to gather the seeds.

Maybe this is why we are cautioned on not bearing fruit (John 15:1-8)

How do you protect a baby plant from withering up? Keep it in the house and nourish it.

Could this be why we are intructed to lift up one another? Maybe why Paul instructed the churches to care for Timothy?

How about time spent tending those seeds ?
How can we grow a baby plant into a full grown vine?

Galations 6:7-10 "Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith."

Isn't it also true of our own spiritual growth? Time spent tending to our spiritual garden will produce "fruits of the spirit" Galatians 5:22-23

As we approach revival my prayer is for spiritual growth, both for myself and for our church. There are so many seeds to plant.

Goodnight
Amanda