One of the features of the prison I'm at is unique from the other two higher security level prisons I've been at. We have personal gardens that inmates can sign up for. They are ten foot by fourteen foot gardens, but you can fit a lot into a little space. The harvest of the fresh vegetables is a nice break from the prison food that often features overcooked, low quality vegetables.
The thing about having a garden is that you get no fruit if you don't plant, and then care for the growing vegetables. I remember when I was growing up we had fruit trees in our yard and I was told that for most fruit trees you had to care for the tree for three years before you could begin harvesting fruit. I know that for vegetables, if you want a bountiful harvest you have to care for and water the plants. You have to also remove weeds that threaten to choke out the fruitfulness of the plants.
I see a parallel here to faith. When you plant a seed of faith through prayer, or an earnest expectation of hope for some yield in your life, or in the life of another, that faith requires careful tending before you'll see a yield. Weeds of doubt, fear, discouragement, or so many other emotions threaten to choke out that seed of faith. It requires careful, and attentive removal of these weeds to keep that faith growing until it yields fruit.
I know I've planted many seeds of faith over the last five plus years and some are still germinating while persistent weeds try to choke them out. Other seeds are finally yielding fruit and seeing this fruit strengthens my resolve to continue to not only plant more seeds, but to carefully tend and water the seeds of faith that still haven't borne fruit. Maybe you've let discouragement, or some other weed choke your faith. It might be time for some careful weeding to remove these obstacles to fruit-bearing faith. It might be time to strengthen your faith with some careful watering. Fruit will come. I'm seeing a yield and you can too!
