Planning For Harvest

“So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6:9‬ ‭

I invested in my future today.

I planted some lilies.

I added compost, dug them in nice and deep, and watered them well. They will root and pull themselves to their ideal depth and then – sleep.

For more than six months.

I won’t get to even see them for at least another four.

That’s almost a year of waiting.

But they will be worth it! They will grow and multiply and bloom for many years to come. The blossoms will be a marvel of engineering – each with a unique colour and texture and sheen, adding vivid colour and delightful fragrance to the garden.

And I was thinking – what am I planting today that will provide beauty in my own life?

I want to plant patience. Generosity. Kindness. Resilience. Perseverance.

Love.

And each one needs to be deliberate and intentional. The soil of the heart must be well prepared to receive such precious cargo – all weeds and tangled roots must be removed, and the soil worked to humbly accept the bulbs.

Then those good qualities need to be planted deep, watered well with the Word of God and prayer.

They don’t grow overnight, either. Sometimes they lie dormant while they adjust to their new surroundings. Sometimes they are quietly, secretly rooting deep in the soil where you can’t see any progress.

But when conditions are right, they will grow, send up tender shoots, produce green leaves of promise.

And when the blooms come, they will be beautiful!

It’s easy to get tired of doing the right thing during the rooting phase, when the results are invisible. It’s hard to press on when there seems to be nothing to show for it.

So I’m going to remember the lesson of the Lily, and hold fast to the promise of that glorious bloom far into the future.

Patiently wait for beautiful character in your personal growth with me?

Father, a beautiful garden doesn’t happen by accident. So too, our lives don’t blossom with beautiful character traits without some effort and planning. Guide us as we deliberately cultivate Your characteristics. Bless us with a bountiful harvest as we persevere. Amen.