I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. I Corinthians 3:6
The first trucks arrived at about 7:15 AM on a Tuesday several weeks ago. In just a few minutes, our street was filled with a total of four large trucks, two bearing long trailers hauling the necessary equipment for removing a fifty-plus-foot silver maple tree from our front yard. The tree had developed a weak point in its growth pattern and was at risk of breaking in a windstorm. Half the tree was aimed at our roof if it came down, so we decided to remove the tree in the name of caution. Our two large oak trees would also get a good trim, raising their canopies and removing dead wood.
Within a very short order, the spider lift was removed from its trailer and properly anchored to take the chainsaw operator as high as he needed to go to complete the job. We sat amazed watching him cut branches and feed them to his crew on the ground with absolute precision. He truly was an artist in his field of work. The limbs were placed with perfect accuracy for the ground crew to haul them by hand to the mulching machine or pick up the larger ones with a grappling hook for loading onto a trailer for removal. An hour and forty-five minutes later, the entire tree was gone, and only a short stump remained. The oak trees were then trimmed, and the mess cleaned up so well that we wouldn’t have known the crew had been there except for the ugly stump.
I contacted the company owner that evening to see if he had us scheduled for stump removal. He didn’t, but said they would get to it as quickly as they could. A week later, no one had come to claim the stump, so we called the company owner again, and, long story short, on Saturday morning, I heard a commotion outside the bedroom window, again at 7:15. You guessed it, they were here to chip the stump. (I’m sure the neighbors were thrilled.) For the next hour or so, we listened to the sound of a large stump being chipped from the ground along with the larger roots radiating from it. We were then told that he would be back, as soon as scheduling permitted, to remove the pile of chips, which now resembled a giant anthill; we’re talking more than two feet high and six feet in diameter at its base. The birds and squirrels are having a field day with it, digging, pecking, and tossing chips everywhere.
We’re learning the art of patience. Apparently, there is a rhythm to the pattern this company uses to complete its work. And when they do it, they do it well. We, of course, are getting anxious for new green grass. And that will come, in its own time.
It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. I Corinthians 3:7
When we sow seeds on those we encounter in our daily lives about developing a relationship with Jesus, they may sprout immediately, or they may lie dormant for a long time. But when they sprout and begin to develop roots, the Lord will provide plenty of Son-shine and Living Water, so that when the day of harvest comes, many can go to spend eternity with Him. Our job is to sow.
As I write, our giant anthill is still staring at us every time we look out the front windows, but we know someone will eventually come and pick it up. Once the hole is filled and the dirt scattered, seed can be sown, and we can begin watering and nourishing. Maybe God did us a favor by creating delays in finishing the job. After all, we are in the midst of a drought. Perhaps by waiting a while, the weather cycles may shift and God will choose to pour out His blessing in the form of nice, nourishing rain. Meanwhile, I need to ponder the many ways I can scatter spiritual seeds. I may or may not see them grow to fruition, but if I share well, a new generation can nourish those seeds and grow them into something beautiful.
In your quiet times with God, ask Him to show you practical ways you can sow good seeds in your relationships today. Joyce Meyer, Quiet Times with God
