Marigold Surprise

 Earlier this year, I (Nancy) was very excited about planting a garden.  I had visions of eating vegetables straight from our little plot and dreamed of the garden filled with beautiful flowers.  With the help of a friend, I bought seeds and tools and dirt to enrich the sandy soil. Mike helped me prepare the ground and I planted lots of seeds.  Even with some good rain, though, only some radishes, a little lettuce and a few flowers came up.  We had a few bites from the radishes and lettuce.  We enjoyed a flower or two in the garden.  Then a massive heatwave hit and the sun baked everything left.  Even the weeds stopped growing.  When Mike mentioned that we could try again next year and that we had learned a lot from this year, I wasn't so sure.
Imagine my surprise, though, when I was in the yard hanging out the laundry and saw some color from the garden.  I walked over to look and saw several tiny marigolds blooming under the shade of the lilac bush!  I had even forgotten what I had sowed there, and here they were blooming!
The spiritual application was hard to miss.  Sometimes we work very hard and dream of wonderful results from planting God's seed (His Word) into the lives of people.  Time passes and we see very little of the positive impact we wanted to have.  Times are hard and we want to give up when suddenly, God shows us how he has changed people's lives.  It is so awesome!
"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm.  Let nothing move you.  Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."  1 Corinthians 15:58