“What do we do when cynicism creeps up, like weeds on a bald area of field during a season that was designed for planting? . . . Growing slow is an uncomfortable options when you want a quick fix. But the secret to an unhurried heart is found here, where the air is so quiet you can hear a faint ringing of nothingness. And all you’ve got is a prayer.”- Jennifer Dukes Lee
“This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.”- Mark 4:26-27 (NIV)
In Chapter 2 (“We are All Farmers”) of Growing Slow, Jennifer Dukes Lee talks about what to do when growth seems like a far-off dream. Like standing at the edge of a muddy field with a fistful of seed in your hands.
And, Jennifer asks, what about those fields you can’t even get to? When you find yourself unable to fulfill he call to steward what God gave you? Perhaps that field is an unfulfilled dream someone else closes a door.
Certainly, like farmers, God’s given us all seeds to plant in fields. But, Jennifer notes:
“The potential of these fields and the harvest that they might one day yield give us both our greatest joys and our greatest burdens. There is, in fact, constant pressure to grow more and better things. . . . you’re convinced you can’t afford to slow down. The truth is, you can’t afford not to.”
Consequently, step one to healing your hurting heart involves holding on to hope as if your life depends on it. Thus, hope = the full assurance God will come through as we press our seeds into the dirt. Above all, God makes everything beautiful in its time. Hence, we center our hope in the God of seasons and seeds and rain and dirt. Not benchmarks, speed, or prominence.
Most significantly, find peace in knowing that God does the work, not you. Know that under the dirt, God’s already growing good things.
Today’s question: What Scriptures help when cynicism creeps up, like weeds? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “A school of patience – Growing Slow”
