In our preschool class a few weeks ago, we began an exciting experiment: planting seeds in cups. Each student received the same materials, instructions, and attentive supervision. With eager hands and abundant energy, they carefully planted their seeds. We arranged the cups in our classroom window to soak up the sun, and regularly watered them throughout the week.
Despite our best efforts and consistent care, some cups stubbornly remained nothing more than containers of wet dirt, lacking any signs of life. It was a puzzling and somewhat frustrating sight, especially for 3-5 year olds, which led me to reflect on the nature of growth and the lessons it offers.
I can understand the frustration of the preschoolers when I look and don't see the growth I was expecting. As a parent of a seventh-grade daughter, I have been planting "seeds" of faith. This year has certainly been an exercise in patience as I've felt a sense of limited control while she makes her own choices. Junior high girls seem to possess an unmatched sense of knowing it all, always needing to have the last word and are convinced of their own invincibility. There are moments when I look at my daughter and feel as though I'm staring at a barren cup of dirt, lacking any signs of growth. However, I remind myself that just as the seeds in the preschool experiment need time, patience, and nurturing to grow, so too does my daughter's faith and character.
1 Corinthians 3:6-9
I planted the seed,
Apollos watered it,
but God has been making it grow.
So neither the one who plants
nor the one who waters is anything,
but only God, who makes things grow.
The one who plants and the one who waters
have one purpose,
and they will each be rewarded
according to their own labor.
For we are co-workers in God’s service;
you are God’s field, God’s building.
Paul, the author of Corinthians, reminds me that I must trust that God is ultimately in control of her growth. My role as a parent is to faithfully tend to the soil, watering and nurturing her with love, guidance, and prayer, but ultimately, the growth is in God's hands.
My daughter is one of the fields I am working in. There are also other fields: family, co-workers, students, various friend groups, each representing an opportunity to sow seeds of faith and love. While I may not always see immediate results or have full control over the outcome, I am called to be a faithful co-worker in God's service, trusting in His ability to make things grow according to His perfect plan. What are the various fields that God has placed in your path?