One of the happiest moments of each new year is when I see the
first seeds for sale at Lowe's. I
couldn't help myself this week; I had to pick up several packets, even though
it's far too early to plant anything, even indoors. I'm quite proud of my front herb garden; last
year we had an amazing display of Genovese basil, Thai basil, oregano, dill,
thyme, tarragon, and rosemary.
I had given
up on cilantro, however. It's one of my
favorite herbs (I'm a big fan of Mexican food!), but every time I'd tried to
grow it in the past, it bolted – grew up extremely fast and withered within
just a couple of weeks. I'd tried
everything I could think of to pamper it, but nothing worked, so I gave up on
it. One day late last spring, I noticed
that Lisa had planted something in an empty spot in the herb bed. When I asked her what she'd planted, and she
told me it was cilantro, I shook my head.
"It won't work; it'll just bolt like it always does."
To my
surprise, not only did the cilantro not bolt, it thrived – and is still alive
now, despite the frost we've gotten. How
could this be? I've done everything in
my power to make that stuff grow, and Lisa gets it to work on her first try.
I think I
understand a little better now Paul's words in 1Cor3:6: "I planted the seed,
Apollos watered it, but God has
been making it grow." Ultimately,
there's nothing I can do to make a seed grow.
Sure, I can make the conditions right for growth to happen, but only God
has the power to make things thrive. And
there's a hidden blessing there as well.
I don't have to be responsible for results; rather, God only asks us to
plant and water. The results are up to
him. Praise God for his wisdom and
power!
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