This past week, I cleared out my garden, preparing it for planting. Mounds of leaves were hauled away, leaving behind rich soil filled with nutrients and…worms. However, I am proud to say that for the first time I did not scream like a girl when I saw the wiggly creatures. 

I planted several rows of vegetable seeds including lettuce, radishes, carrots, and cucumbers. A few days ago, I added some tomato plants to the mix and I’m already looking forward to my summer salads!

The principle of reaping and sowing is pretty clear: the seeds we plant determine the type of harvest we will reap in the future. For example, if I plant lettuce, I am not going to get carrots as a harvest. Like begets like.

Also, one lettuce seed does not produce one lettuce leaf, but rather, a whole head of lettuce! This is the principle of multiplication. 

However, I will have to wait a while before I can remove lettuce from my grocery list. There’s always a waiting time between sowing and reaping. As much as I’d love to head back to my garden today and harvest, I will have to wait. 

Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will my salad be! So, what do we do while we wait? 

• We can sit around wishing time would pass by more quickly.
• We can complain that it’s not happening fast enough.
• Or, we can tend to our gardens, ensuring they are watered, weeded, and watched over knowing that we will enjoy a bountiful harvest if we don’t give up.

“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.”  (Galatians 6:9)

It can be challenging to wait, yet it is during this time that our patience and our faith grow. It’s also a time to put our trust in God that whatever we are waiting for will come to pass (or maybe even something better!) 

Here are some things we can do while we wait on our harvest or answers to our prayers:

1.    Spend time in God’s Word reminding ourselves of His many promises.
2.    Speak His promises out loud to build up our faith.
3.    Write down all of the times God has already answered our prayers and be grateful.

I want to encourage you today that if you’re in a waiting season, use this time wisely. Your harvest will come, if you don’t lose heart.