Two small gardens sit behind our house, tucked into the corners of our patio design. For years, my wife and I filled them with practical things like radishes, onions, carrots, peppers, and tomatoes. This year, we decided to try something different. Instead of vegetables, we scattered four little bags of wildflower seeds across the soil.

My wife planted them when it first got warm about two months, or eight weeks, or 56 days ago. Last night, I looked out, and both gardens were filled with plants, but not a single flower. A few buds are starting to form, hinting at what’s coming, but we’re still at least two weeks away from our first blooms.

Working for God feels a lot like gardening. We prepare the ground, plant seeds, pull weeds, and water when needed. And then we wait. We can’t force anyone to follow Jesus or rush someone into spiritual maturity. All we can do is plant seeds of faith, tend them carefully, and create the best possible environment for growth.

I know those flowers will bloom eventually. Our back porch will become the beautiful space we envisioned. I can’t tell you exactly when, but I live with the confidence that it will happen.

I also know that some of the people our church is walking alongside will one day choose to follow Jesus and become everything God created them to be. And I sure hope I get to see it when they do. I know it will be a thing of beauty to behold.