Feb 25 - "Patient Growth"

1 Corinthians 2:14 - 3:15

" I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants, nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth."
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What thing in your life today are you waiting on to grow?

Our middle daughter Rachel in the process of creating a terrarium in her science class at school. Although she was probably most excited about drinking the root beer in order to empty the 2 liter bottle needed for the project, she is also excited what will grow from the tiny seeds she planted in the soft soil of her project. Last night she said "I can't wait to see my terrarium tomorrow to see if my peas have grown." I didn't spoil her excitement by telling her that she still had a while to wait before little green shoots emerge from the surface.

We can all be impatient at times with others, but especially with ourselves, on the time it takes for something to grow. We make a commitment to lose weight or learn a language or change a behavior with which we are unhappy; or, as my sister and her husband are feeling, they can't wait until their beautiful little baby Myra grows out of the colicky stage she is in.

It is really hard to wait on growth. Many times, we don't see an immediate result to our efforts and we lose heart. Sheryl Crow is one of my favorite singer/songwriters. A line from one of her songs Maybe That's Something says, "Making miracles is hard work, some people give up before they happen." The impression we sometimes have is that miracles just appear in a magical "poof" right before our eyes; most times, they take some effort. As we know, to witness the miracle of a beautiful sunset, you have to wait all day for it to get there.

In today's reading, Paul says that the "planter" and the "waterer" are not important in the process of growth. Of course they are, but his point is still valid...God is the one who takes our seeds of joyful expectation and brings them to their full potential. There are times, of course, when we see a quick result. But most often, we need to be patient with the growth that is coming. We need not be so hard on ourselves if the goal we are trying to achieve doesn't yield an immediate result, even when we are still maintaining our efforts in a focused and diligent manner.

So, wait on the Lord, dear friends. Be patient, but remain faithful to the work which must be done to make that miracle. For during the time we are waiting for something else to grow, we grow too.