Every year, in the days following planting the first seeds in my garden for the year, I worry. I stare at the barren soil and wonder, “Did I screw it up somehow?” I fret that I have over or under watered the seeds, especially in the early Spring when the weather and temperatures are so changeable and unpredictable. Logically though, I know that there hasn’t been enough time for the seeds to germinate, or that just because the seed package says that it is going to only take a certain number of days doesn’t mean that it’s going to be totally accurate. I remind myself that patience is the key in this process just like every growing season that has come before. And yet, I still cannot help wondering once more, “is this going to be the year that nothing grows?”
Often, when I find myself entering into a spiritually challenging season of life or taking on a new ministry role, I fall into the same pattern of worry. “Am I doing too much or not enough?” “What if I don’t have enough experience to accomplish this new thing?” “Will God still be able to create something positive even I screw it all up?” Just like in my garden, it is essential for me to remember that I am not being asked by my Creator to control the end result, but rather I am being charged to faithfully plant seeds. Even in the midst of worry, doubt, and inevitable mistakes, I am called to keep on sowing.
God will take care of the rest.