It takes time...

In southwestern Oregon, Stout Grove has some of the biggest, tallest redwood trees in the world. One giant redwood has an arch cut in it that the road goes through. The arch in the tree is big enough for a car to drive right through, so imagine how large the tree itself is! A sign near the giant redwood tree says this: "More than 2000 years ago, a seed was planted by nature and it grew up into that massive redwood before you." A lesson in patience indeed. We are in the business of planting seeds. Sometimes those seeds blossom and grow before our eyes. Other times it takes 2 years or 20 years. Martin Luther was once asked what he would do if the world would end tomorrow, in a rare optimistic moment, he said that he would plant apple trees. It is our job to be seed planters so that others may one day, far into the future stop and marvel at the awesome growth that has happened. We trust in God to care for the seeds that are planted so that one day, perhaps beyond our vision, beyond our lifetimes, there may be a glorious redwood tree of faith that grows!