Planting Seeds
By Kirk Petersen --
Each spring I step out into my backyard determined to bring forth this year my finest harvest of fresh vegetables from my raised beds. But as we reach the fall, I must admit that my efforts fell far short of my expectations once again – if only I had the green thumb of Doug & Joyce Wachsmuth!
The Apostle Paul picks up this analogy of gardening when talking about the task of growing God’s kingdom. He says in 1 Corinthians 3:6-7,
“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.”
As we consider the work of GPBC’s Global Partners and our part in it, let me remind you that all of us have the opportunity to be seed planters and plant waterers in God’s garden. Some of our seeds and water will produce harvests in places around the earth, but let us not forget the garden that we see each day around us. Neighbors to be loved. Family to be nurtured. Co-workers to be encouraged. Service workers to be noticed. Strangers to be welcomed. Needs to be met.
And that’s when God makes it grow.
The best seeds I watch in my work with Alpha get planted and watered through listening ears. It’s often where love becomes realized and experienced. David Augsburger said in his book, Caring Enough to Hear and Be Heard,
“Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person they are almost indistinguishable.”
Did you notice how critical our part is in God’s plan? The passage goes on to say ,“We are co-workers in God’s service.” The Holy Spirit weaves his message through our words and actions to crack the hard shells of resistance and open people to the transforming experience of encountering him.
May the seeds we plant this fall and the watering we do through winter create a garden filled with the best produce in the year ahead – far beyond what we could even ask or imagine. Now that’s a gardening story I want to tell!
Kirk Petersen- Alpha Northwest Director, GPBC Global Partner