Well, I found myself thinking something today. I was thinking that I didn’t want a lot of effort in certain areas to be “All for nought”.  I didn’t want years of effort and prayer and work to be futile, meaningless, and void of any good benefits.  Like so often happens, what we think tends to come out in our words in a matter of time. For me, it was only a matter of minutes before what popped into my brain came out in my words.  ” I just don’t want it to be all for nought.”

There, I said it.  I didn’t want all of the effort to be wasted.And that’s a natural thing to think, hope, and say.  But that’s in the natural.  The walk of faith though, doesn’t live in the natural. It wades into the supernatural and is like a journey of going deeper and deeper into the depths of who God is.It is choosing to change our thinking so that it’s not about us.  It’s about Him. It’s not about our goals, it’s about His purpose in our lives.

When I was saying I didn’t want the efforts to be “all for nought”, I was forgetting something. I was forgetting that with God, nothing is wasted. I was focusing on me bearing the fruits of the labor. I was forgetting that it’s my job to be faithful to Him.  It’s His job to do with it what He will. I was reminded today that nothing brought to Him comes back void.  And that?  That is a beautiful truth to focus on.

And why is there a picture of trees?  Trees take a long time to grow.  Lots and lots of time.  And they start from a little seed.  An acorn, a hickory nut, a maple seed can all fit in the palm of my hand.  But year after year after year, they grow.  Sometimes answered prayer is like that.  We plant the seed.  God gives the growth.  Sometimes it sure doesn’t grow as fast as we’d hope.  But good things take time.  And lots of prayer, and along with prayer, faith that God is hearing that prayer.

So, when those ‘seeds’ are planted and prayed for…I want to learn to trust God with the results.  I do what I can, He does what I can’t.  When I don’t see the results the way I’d like as fast as I’d like, I need to just remember that just remember the oak tree.  Roots go deep. Branches grow out. There are dormant periods. Only 1/3 of the tree is seen…I don’t have eyes to see anywhere near all that is going on with my “seed”.  And after that tree grows tall…then comes the acorns…more seeds to be planted…more fruits of labor, etc.  And who knows how many beautiful acorns will come and be planted from one giant oak tree? So, am thankful for the oak tree.  For the reminder that what may seem “all for nought” is …..Not.  Definitely NOT.  Am so thankful for that.