hard work and prayer

I was on the farm planting this week. It was a little early but it was my only opportunity to put seed in. After spending a day and a half working the soil and preparing it it suddenly dawned on me that it would really stink if nothing grew from all my toil. Here in is the church planting lesson.

first - it was hard work. My arms still feel the inflamation of the tendens from working for all that time with shovel and tiller and all the other tools that seem so foreign to my hands. Church planting has been that way for me. Not every plan worked but a few did; not all my "creativity" was recieved but some heard; not everyseed bore fruit- but many did.

second- at one point I rested on a fence and, exhausted, prayed. God don't let this be in vain. I know that prayer from my shurch planting days too. Fear mingled with faith and hard work and a sense of urgency that won't let go.

I don't know what will happen to the seeds I am sowing. Will there be a frost? Will there be varmits that eat them up? Will I return in a few short weeks to absolutely no growth or a bonanza of fruit? I don't know for certain- but I believe- therefore I plant.