I stopped in on a friend this morning and she had her seed catalog out. She has been busy deciding which flower and herb varieties to plant, circling them, preparing to place her order. We walked around her house looking out windows as she pointed to where each plant will go.

I always take the shortcut and buy my flowers pre-grown in flats so I admire her for starting from scratch. It will be so much fun to visit again and watch the progress as the seeds turn into seedlings, young shoots and finally fully blooming mature plants. To me there is a lot of satisfaction in watching things grow.

The same is true of the spiritual seeds we plant in people’s lives. We think about someone we know who needs a little nudge knowing more about the Savior’s love. What can we do so that seed goes into the best ground to enhance its chances of success? How much water? How much sun? Small seedlings need delicate handling – no crushing and bulldozing our way in.

In the end though, no matter how much thought and effort we put into a natural or spiritual garden, we have to admit that we aren’t the ones who make it grow. The apostle Paul understood that when he said; “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” (1 Cor. 3:6-7)

God is the real gardener, but isn’t it nice of him to hire us on as his assistants?