The other day I used my raspberry brambles as an example of cleaning up our spiritual lives. This writing is about another story concerning my raspberries and how they relate to our faith in God.

I grew up in central Kansas where there are vast expanses of wheat fields as far as the eye can see. Each fall these dedicate flatland farmer’s plant their seed. This involves a tremendous amount of work and money. A 10,000 acre farm takes days to till and days to plant. Fertilizer and seed can run in the $100,000 range. Yet the farmer has faith that all of this will bring in a crop enough to pay that back with enough more for living and expansion.

That in itself is quite a lesson in faith. If we had that kind of faith in the seed we plant for God, our existence would be truly blessed.

I always marveled at their patience and trust. At any one time they would have far money tied up just laying in the ground than most people make in a year. A dry year, flood, hail storm, tornado, and on and on, could wipe out that investment. Yet they calmly waited for the day of harvest before they would realize any gain from their toiling.

Now on to the story about my raspberries.

I do not think that I would make a very good farmer. I am too impatient. Have you ever planted something only to go out in a couple of days to dig around it to see if it is growing yet? I do. The farmers don’t. They put in the seed and go about other meaningful tasks knowing that the crop will appear as scheduled.

I bought three Golden Raspberry plants at the nursery one spring and planted them in the corner of my small garden plot. Every day I was there looking at them. Poking and pinching them to see if they had survived the trauma of transplanting. My faith was weak based on several other attempts at growing blueberries and nectarines and other delicacies.

It suddenly got hot and the scorching sun beat down on those puny little plants. Oh! You poor things. Will you ever grow?

Well one of them did not. What a waste. I am failing at this plant husbandry effort. Poor me!

Two of the plants held on, but only barely; such scrawny growth. What about those abundant lush golden berries I had seen on the package? Where were they?

The first season ended with a handful of berries. They were luscious in their taste; golden nectar from above. Wow! What will next year bring?

Next Spring I saw dozens of little plants springing up around the two remaining vines. Great! I will actually have a crop of berries.

I tended to these little sprouts like they were my own offspring. Tenderly watered and fertilized. Yes! They responded and soon turned into lush green plants full of golden fruit.

Next Spring. What is this? Hundreds of new green offshoots from the several dozed plants from last year. This is great – I think? What about my garden? It is being taken over. Oh! Well. There will be so many raspberries that I will indulge myself in their eating.

Ouch! These nasty little things have sharp thorns, especially when you have to wind your way through the ever expanding thicket just to get a small hand full of berries. They seemed to have lost their taste somewhat; maybe because I eat them every day.

Hey! Do you want some raspberries? Here dig up all you want. Take these also; they are coming up in the lawn and rocks now.

What I fought to make grow now grow everywhere without any care or concern from me. Actually my concern is how to maintain the large overgrown thicket. Even little rabbits have moved in to find protection from the wild outsides!

So just how is this a lesson about our Spiritual life and growth of seed’s we plant?

We plant seeds of money and witnessing into other peoples lives and into other ministries hoping for a bountiful harvest. But we fret and worry and wring our hands and hearts about the outcome.

When will the fruit come? Will it ever come? Not realizing that seed will do the only thing that it knows to do – Grow.

Once planted and left alone it will grow. The Kansas farmer would go crazy if they worried about every little grain of wheat put into a 10,000 acre field.

When allowed to grow, as my first two berries, they will start to produce on their own. First a little, then a lot. Yes, we are still involved in their care and feeding, but the God given spark of life is within them compelling them to grow.

Paul did this as he traveled about planting seed of faith into small churches. Then years later he would return to see the growth that had occurred on their own, feed by his teachings.

We need only the faith needed to let the seed go and produce what God had designed inside of it to produce. Worry and fretting about them will not speed up the process. On the contrary it may ruin the growth. My digging around the small plants could have easily killed the tender new growth.

Isaiah tells us how God’s word will not return void but produce a harvest.

Isa 55:10 For as the rain comes down, and the snow from the heavens, and does not return there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring out and bud, and give seed to the sower and bread to the eater;

Isa 55:11 so shall My Word be, which goes out of My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall certainly do what I sent it to do.

John tells of the bountiful harvest:

Joh 4:34 Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.

Joh 4:35 Do you not say, It is yet four months, and the harvest comes? Behold, I say to you, Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are white to harvest already.

Joh 4:36 And he who reaps receives wages and gathers fruit to life eternal, so that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.

Joh 4:37 And in this is the saying true, One sows and another reaps.

Joh 4:38 I sent you to reap that on which you bestowed no labor. Other men labored, and you have entered into their labor.

Matthew tells of the need for laborers:

Mat 9:37 Then He said to His disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few.

Mat 9:38 Therefore pray to the Lord of the harvest that He will send out laborers into His harvest.

Mar 16:15 And He said to them, Go into all the world, proclaim the gospel to all the creation.

Mar 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned.

Jim – May 3, 2009