The school year had just ended and in anticipation of his two sons crying out, “There’s nothing to do,” a father prepared a garden bed on the west side of the house, a location that also benefited from the sun’s southern exposure. The father wasted no time in introducing his sons to a mandatory project on the Saturday after school was dismissed, closed, not scheduled to re-open until the fall semester. Early in the morning he called his boys to come outside because he had a summer project for them. The boys reluctantly put aside their electronic games and slowly, but obediently, met their father outside.
Before I continue, let me give you some deeper insight into the father’s preparation and purpose. In an attempt to teach multiple lessons to his two sons, in late March, the father brought each boy a brand-new orange waterpot, a shiny new trowel, and a snippet. He also gave them each five packets of seeds: tomato seeds, cucumber seeds, zucchini seeds, basil seeds, and some lettuce seeds. Now, back to the story.
The father told them that their project was to grow these foods in their designated part of the garden bed he had prepared. One of the son’s protested, “That’s not fun! that’s work!” The father replied, “No. This is a project where you will learn a lot of things that have nothing to do with gardening; things that will help you when you become adults. You will learn about responsibility, stewardship of what you are entrusted with, time management, sacrifice, pursuing successful outcomes, and providing for others.” The same son says, “Providing for others?” The father again responds immediately, yet showing patience and explaining in the proper tone, that if they are successful in nurturing and growing the seeds, they will grow into foods that they can eat as a family or share with others
As the boys are looking over their seed packages and gardening tools, the father says, “There is something important I must tell you. Know that these plants need watering and you will have to fill up your pots using the outside faucet.” Both of the sons look at each other. Then, the son that had not said anything yet says, “But Dad, that faucet barely works right. The water comes out very slowly.” The father, still keeping his composure, did not explain that he had an ulterior motive behind limiting the source where they could get water to the outside faucet, but he simply says, “You will just have to learn patience.” As you can gather from what you read, there were two boys, but many lessons.
As the summer begins, the boys had no problem planting the seeds. However, only one had the patience for his orange waterpot to be filled sufficiently to water all his plants. His plants thrived, sprouted up quickly, and produced a good harvest for the family. As this son saw the results, he really got into the project, actually experiencing joy in what he was accomplishing. It was not so with the other son. He did not have the necessary devotion to wait until the slow-running faucet filled his water container. Day after day, after a few trinkles of water filled less than a fifth of his orange waterpot, he would sporadically and sparingly water his struggling seeds. What were the results! His harvest was not so good.
At the end of the summer, the father got the boys together and reviewed all the lessons they learned. The son who did not use his orange waterpot to it full potential raised his hands to speak. He said, “I learned that if you want something to grow, you have to do the work.” The father said, “That is a good lesson! My sons, you have learned many lessons, but that is a very important one! Now, don’t forget any of them and apply them in your life.
I’m almost done, but let us, believers, benefit from the lesson expressed by the son who did not water his plants properly; the one who did not take his project seriously and do the work. As believers, we have been given a great project. I call you attention to the Great Commission below. If you want your church to grow; if you want to produce a new harvest of believers in the kingdom of God, you have to do the work. I would tell you to “Go ye therefore,” but instead, let Jesus tell you…again! Be blessed!
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20 NKJV)
Committed to the climb,
Mark L. King