GOD'S PERFECT TIME
Galatians 6:8-10

Are you a gardener?  If so, you know gardening is quite a process.  In the spring you anxiously await warm weather, you prepare the soil, plant the seeds, water them, wait for the first sprouts to push through the soil, more watering through the summer, then weeding, keeping the  critters away, cultivating and finally – the harvest.

    My friend, Norm, was thrilled when he was able to buy some land in the country.  He built a house there for his wife and children.  One of the reasons Norm was excited about having a place of their own in the country was that he would be able to have a vegetable garden.  The next spring he put in his garden and spent many hours after work and on weekends lovingly caring for it.  Every morning before leaving for work and every evening before going in for supper, Norm would walk over to admire his garden.
    Carrots are fun to plant because they are one of the first to come up.  And, as you know, they develop very nicely above ground long before they fully develop under the soil.  By late June, Norm’s garden was looking great.  Everything had come up and was doing nicely.  As he left for work one morning, he paused to appreciate his beautiful garden, especially the carrots.  But that evening, when he arrived home, Norm noticed something rather strange.  Most of the carrots were drooping lifelessly.
    Since he had arrived home a little late, Norm didn’t have time to investigate, but hurried into the house.   Around the supper table, Norm asked if anyone knew what might have happened to the carrots.  He observed that his two young sons were unusually quiet.  Upon inquiring, Norm learned that his boys had grown impatient waiting for the garden to produce something to eat.  The carrots looked good, so they decided to check out how they were coming along.  One by one, they pulled up the carrots, checked their progress, and shoved them back into the ground.
    Sometimes we’re a little like Norm’s boys, aren’t we?  We get discouraged when our efforts for the Kingdom don’t seem to be producing anything.  We expend time and energy and talent, but we don’t see any results.  So, we grow impatient.  Perhaps we decide to just give up.  Notice what Paul writes in the sixth chapter of Galatians.  “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
    Don’t doubt that God is using your efforts.  Keep planting, watering and cultivating.  The harvest is often long in coming, but the harvest is certain.  It will come at God’s appointed time.  Don’t give up.