Sometimes it doesn’t seem like much is happening in my life. I want to see some action! I long to see greater tangible evidence of the Holy Spirit working in my life, bringing about blessing to others in the world.

Reflecting this morning I imagined a garden bed filled with rich, crumbly topsoil, with green sprouts rapidly growing. That’s what I want to see! But garden beds like that don’t just appear. To build a really good garden, someone has to get a spade and shovels and dig deep – maybe even get in excavation equipment. Does that look like a tidy garden at that point? Hardly!

Next, in the garden bed that was being prepared in my head, a layer of whitish loam was laid down. What is loam, anyway? The dictionary says it is a mixture of clay, sand and organic matter. It doesn’t look like my seeds will grow well in that! Where’s my topsoil? But the loam layer is part of the foundation of the garden bed and needs to be laid as part of its preparation.

We like to see the seasons of rapid visible growth in our lives. We want to see the sudden appearance and evidence of seeds sprouting from the topsoil, with knowledge that lots of luscious fruit will soon be produced – just around the corner. But sometimes God wants to make a new garden bed. At those times, he will dig deep in our lives in preparation for seasons of fruit ahead. We need to be patient and submit to what he is doing during those times.

There are various times and seasons in our lives – and we can’t fight the season that we’re in. I’m learning to trust that God is in charge of my garden, and knows how to build it such a way as to produce a beautiful and fruitful outcome.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven
Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ASV)