Day 9 - Sowing and watering

This picture is actually from around 1900.  The young man on the right, with his hands on his hips and that awesome hat, is my grandfather (my mother's father) Arnold Toensing.  This farm belonged to his older brother Henry and his family.  It was during this time on the farm, that my grandfather decided that he was not cut out to be a farmer.  That decision changed his life forever.  It was after this time that he decided to go to North Dakota with a friend to open a general store.  It was there that he met my grandmother.  The interesting thing about my family is that there are many, many farmers on my family tree.  The fact that I choose this photo (one of my relatives that was NOT a farmer) is kind of odd!  I have so many great memories of being on the farms of my aunts and uncles. 

This photo was taken at my Aunt Agnes and Uncle Hank's farm in 1957.  I cherish all the memories I have from Uncle George and Aunt Mable's farm.  I am thankful for these experiences.  That brings me to my story today.  (I actually found a couple of different pictures today, that brought me to this blog post.)

 

Well, I was thinking about that time in the prayer group I mentioned in an earlier blog.  We also had a Sunday morning Bible study that was working through the book of John.  There were several people in that group that challenged and argued every line we studied.  There is one week of that study that stands out for me.  I was just the "substitute" leader that day.  The verse was John 14:6

 

Jesus answered, "I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father, except through me".

 

What a day that was.  There were comments from all sides.  "What about GOOD people?"  "What about people who are following the religion that they think is the right one?  Who are we to judge" For the entire hour all I did was to repeat this verse over and over and over.  Most of the people in the group were not very happy with me.  They did not want to hear this verse over and over.  And they did not want to hear what was behind this verse.  Needless to say, it was a LONG hour for me. 

My mom happened to be visiting at the time of that Bible class.  She could not believe my response.  And she couldn't believe that people DID NOT believe this verse!  I know that Bible class on the book of John was all about sowing seeds.  There were some people in that class that were being drawn into Jesus.  And I was just one of the "farmers" sowing the seeds.

 

For a couple of these people, the next few years was all about watering those seeds.  We continued to meet week after week.  We finished the book of John and moved on to Hebrews.  Over and over there was a challenge to really give their life to Jesus.  Every week we would pray.  And every week we would ask if they were ready to say yes to Jesus.  We poured the water of the Holy Spirit on those seeds.  But, alas, there was not a positive response.  After two years of meeting week after week.  I was privileged to watch SOMEONE ELSE hear the "YES" response from my friend.  I was not the harvester. 

 

I learned so much in this event!  It is not just about the harvest.  It is also about sowing those seeds.  And also all that time of waiting.  Of watering and tending and caring that brings forth the harvest.  I had the wrong idea about "Evangelism".  I thought you could just say the right words and people would all want to say yes to Jesus.  But it does not work that way.  It is the job of the Holy Spirit to work this out for each person in a very individual way.  I am so thankful that this happened in my life.  It has helped me to see that the seed sowing is an amazing gift.  And I have learned that it is only with the watering of the Holy Spirit that seed can grow. 

 

Jesus, thank you for this amazing way that you let us participate in your plan.  Holy Spirit, thank you for your encouragement and prompting that helps us to let your life giving water pour forth from us.  Thank you for friends that stick by us, even when we are not sure exactly what we are doing or where we are going.  Jesus, thank you for who you are and what you have done for us.  Amen