Recently, I had an epiphany about transplanting some azaleas into a new home. It would make the long driveway prettier, I reasoned, and that would be a good thing.
I chose a spot alongside the drive and took an optimistic "bite" with my shovel.
Hmmm, maybe try another spot a few inches over.
Maybe there was a root there.
Well, the second spot wasn't much better. It was apparent that in many places, only about half an inch was actual dirt. After that, there was less soil and more roots, pebbles, and more roots.
To make this long story shorter, it took an awful lot of hard digging, and root axe work, and then adding in many inches of mulch and compost to prepare a new home that would support plant life. And bug life, too. We can't forget our bug friends that help us to have good soil. I checked weeks later and we had a great crop of earthworms happily working the earth in the new plant bed.
Whew!
Pretty intense work.
I was reminded of the parable of the sower, when Jesus reminded us that there are things that hinder our growth, too. Sometimes the work to remove the pebbles and roots of sin is intense work, and it must be done before we can grow.
The parable tells us that there are different types of soil -- but we are really reminded that there are different types of people! People react differently to the gospel. They receive it differently.
Oh, yes, they do. And some don't want to receive it at all!
This is a challenge to us as we share the gospel with others and as we pray for them. It can be frustrating!
But as my grandma used to say, "It takes all kinds to make a world."
And Jesus loves each one of them!
Some people are like the seed that Jesus mentioned, that falls on the packed, hard soil of the roadway. Sure, they hear the gospel, but no sooner does it go in one ear, than Satan snatches away the seed and tosses it out the other ear. No growth there.
Some people are like the seed that lands in the rocky, or gravel-filled soil. Boy, when they first hear the gospel, they receive it eagerly and respond with great enthusiasm! But there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotional "high" wears off, and some difficulty besets them, there's no growth to show for it.
The seed is scattered in the weedy ground, too, and these are the ones that hear the gospel news but are overwhelmed with care and worry about all the things that they "need" to do, and all the things they "need" to get. The worry and stress just kinda strangles the message they heard, and nothing comes of it.
But then, in God's timing, there are the people represented by the "good earth." These are the souls who hear the message and embrace it. They begin to live that message, and it produces a harvest far beyond what we can imagine.
This is indeed a challenge for us. Sometimes when we share the gospel with others we are frustrated with a lack of change. We don't see growth, and we keep shoving our shovel into the ground, and shoving in seeds. We get irritable and edgy about it, as if it all depends on us..... but God is patiently preparing the "soil" in people's lives long before we first speak to them. Probably before we think to pray for them. And definitely before we see the first sprouts of green pushing up out of the earth. It's not all on us..... we must keep our shovels moving, and keep planting seeds, but definitely not with an attitude!
We must remain steadfast, as Peter just told us last week, and keep praying and encouraging those who we have told about Jesus. Allow those seeds to have a chance to grow, and ask the Master Gardener to bless our efforts in cultivation.
It's not just about the other people, though. It's about us, too. What is the quality of the soil in our own lives?
When the seeds in the shallow soil sprouted, they didn't last. And when the seeds in the weedy ground started out, the stress and busyness choked them out.... are we a little TOO content to live with our "weeds"? If I'm honest, I am way too content to have my weeds around me. I easily become overwhelmed with the things I need to get done. I forget to pray before I
And that is way too busy.
So, the Master Gardener pulls out a shovel and starts digging in my roots and pebbles. He adds fertilizer and mulch, and He tugs out the weeds that are threatening to choke out my relationship with Him. He's trying to make something beautiful grow!
So, what are you thinking about now?
Me? I'm settling down and opening my Bible. I'm ready to sit and listen to Him for a while.
How about you?
Is He reminding all of us not to give up on others? Not to be discouraged by what looks like hardened soil in their lives?
Is He asking us to dig our own roots deeper into the soil? Preparing us for the storms that may come?
Or is He pulling out some weeds that have been choking out His good work in our hearts?
This week, and every week, let's allow the Master Gardener to have free rein; let's let Him work unhindered, and then see what a wonderful harvest comes!
The analogy was just right. And I am reminded almost daily anymore about the beam in my eye and the mote in others. It's amazing how we can be. We need to be aware every second it seems.
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