Gardening...

It is spring, and the earth is opening itself up for planting and growing and renewal.  Spring is a time of hope, of inspiration, of promise.  The sunshine and the rain and the heat and the leaves and the grass growing all speak to the newness of life coming forth, and it is energizing.

But there is more to spring, a darker side to this cheerful season.  There is also severe weather, and violent tornadoes that destroy and kill.  There is hail, which batters the tender emerging plants, threatening their existence and the livelihood of the farmer who planted them.  Weeds sprout and take over the good plants, and must be ruthlessly destroyed before they ruin the garden.  There are gloomy days, when the sky is grey and overcast, and the clouds hang low like a weight in the sky.  There are trees that fail to grow because they are shaded by larger, more aggressive trees that take all the sunlight.  Animals are born, but they don't all survive.  Each season has its hardship, and spring is no exception.

When Paul planted his church in Corinth, the spring soon turned ugly, and his garden was in distress.  His followers fought and argued, totally missing the point of his mission and what he was trying to accomplish.  They were caught up in the present, blind to the future and their mission of spreading the good news of salvation.  They misunderstood the message that Paul brought them, focusing on themselves and ignoring God.  How disappointed Paul must have been.  How grieved God must have felt to see his garden in disarray.

But they were much like us, I think.  We, too, are caught up in today, and fail to look ahead.  We cling to our familiar patterns, resisting the new challenges placed in our path as we navigate an ever changing world.  We cling to our petty differences, hold fast to our viewpoint, disparage others who disagree because we are afraid to try something new or uncomfortable.  We, in our fallen humanity, threaten the beautiful garden God has designed in his gracious goodness.

That is not God's intention for his followers, or his vision for our lives.  Faith is not static, and grace is not entrenched in the past. We are not the beginning, nor are we the end.  We are called to minister to others, to spread the good news, each in our own way.  We are asked to plant the seeds of faith, water them and allow them to grow as we share our lives with those who are searching.  We are merely gardeners of God's creation.

We are not in control of the weather, or of other people.  We cannot determine the outcome of the spring renewal and planting any more than we can control what other people believe or how they act.  That is not our job.  All we are asked to do is water and encourage and inspire.  God will do the rest, we just need to get out of the way.

In 1 Corinthians 3:7, Paul entreats the fractious Corinthians to do just that.  He says,

"So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow."

 In this season of spring, I pray for renewal and growth and hope.  I am just the groundskeeper, nurturing what God has given me to tend in his garden.  The future is in God's hands, and with prayer and grace, I will follow his plan to eternity.