Master of the Garden

Recently, I’ve been brainstorming ways to tell the world about my relationship with Jesus and share the good news of his Salvation.

When sharing my passion (i.e., long, drawn out, miracle, Jesus stories) I usually feel like a goofball who has absolutely zero theological backing to “prove” my faith.  It’s as if I am saying all the wrong things to the cashier behind the counter at Publix or to the gal giving me a new hair style. So, I withdraw the righteous-path-proposal, and do my best to make a new friend, or at least leave a joy-filled impression or word of encouragement in someone’s world.

I found myself totally frustrated by these “small efforts” that seem to be getting no where in the hearts of my new found friends and cashier clerks.  After wracking my brain and heart for scriptures I should have shared or specific words I should have said, I finally asked the One with all the answers to tell me

“OK, W.W.J.D.?

How in the world, do I actually “win” these souls into your kingdom?”

And that’s when he softly showed me, like a movie picture in my mind, a Master Gardner placing a tiny seed in the ground….who has to patiently wait through an entire season before he can Harvest.

I fearfully questioned, as if doomsday were accurately scheduled in my planner,

“But Lord, we don’t have TIME to wait!!

Are you telling me my seeds are enough, and that now, I just have to wait?”

I pondered that Gardner standing in his field, with his tiny, morsel of a seed in his hand – a precious crop to someday become food on his table. His soul survival is now getting tossed in the ground, covered with dirt, and processed with time. Lots and Lots of time. This concept makes no sense to the urgency in my soul winning heart.  I want the Harvest now.  I want to make sure – very sure, that they are on the right path.

So I proved my lack of trust, and continued questioning the God of All Creation…

“Ok God, but…

What if the Gardner knows a storm is coming and doesn’t want to loose his crop?

How does he protect his seed?

How does he guarantee that his seed will someday be harvested and not blown away?

What if something happens to the Gardner, and he’s not there at the right time to prune, to cultive or to harvest?”

{Bottom line} – God,What if this person I love so much never accepts Christ, and goes to hell?”

He reminded me again that the Gardner never stops to worry about an impending storm. He sows today, he waters today, he prepares today for what he “believes” he will reap tomorrow. He never waits or worrys about the what if’s, he just plants, and sows and waters.

Because if he stops planting, he will surely stop reaping.

Yes, he has to weather the storm, wait out the rain and the winds and trust the seedlings strengh to survive. And also has to trust the Lord of the Harvest to care for what he cannot.

He also will have to wait until the exact moment, checking and testing, until the fruit is completely ripe before he begins picking.

I imagined a Gardner picking all of his fruit before it was ripe, ruining the harvest, and the same Gardner waiting so long and watching it all fall to the ground, only to have the birds carry it away. It’s a delicate process, one that takes time, patience and knowledge.

In 1 Cor 5, Paul talks about our work in the kingdom. We all have equal share in the work, as long as we each do our part to contribute to that greater work. And it doesn’t matter which part we work, we all share in the reward!

Winning souls is like gardening.
Some sow.
Some water.
…but God brings the increase.

He brings in the harvest!

I can trust Him with that.