A few weeks ago, while teaching in a Transformation Course session, a woman shared with us about a small garden she had planted in the backyard of her new home. She told us she was truly looking forward to this garden because it represented a fresh beginning after a hard season. She had recently moved into a new home after the passing of someone dear to her, and the move also meant finding a new church, leaving behind the one she had loved and served for many years. Leaving that community was painful, and in many ways, gardening had always been where she found her peace, so planting again felt like a way to reconnect with something life-giving and meaningful to her. After some time though, she said she began to feel discouraged because it appeared as though nothing was growing in her garden, and she started to wonder if anything would actually sprout. Then one morning, after a long and gentle rain, she went outside and saw that a single flower had made its way through the soil. The flower that bloomed was the favorite of the loved one she had lost. In that moment, she said she got her God wink, a reminder that God didn’t forget about her.
Faith can feel like her garden sometimes. We plant prayers and hopes in the soil of our lives, watching for them to happen with expectation. Yet there are seasons in life when it feels as though nothing that we want to happen is happening. In times like these, we begin to understand the disciples a little more. Remember, we talked about them this past Sunday? After hearing Jesus speak about the challenges of living in this world, they said to him, “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). Jesus replied, “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you” (Luke 17:6). Jesus was reminding them that even the smallest amount of faith can move mountains when placed in God’s hands. That means there will be times when faith that moves mountains simply looks like holding on a little longer and remembering that God is working in the background of your life. Just like that single flower made its way through the soil, God is still in control, and your God wink is on the way too.
Faith invites us to believe that when life feels like we are not seeing what we prayed for, God has not forgotten about us. Prayers planted in faith are never wasted, and delay does not mean denial. As we continue our journey of Faith, Formation, Finance, and Future, may we keep believing that God’s timing is never off. Something good is growing, and when it blooms, it will remind you that God never stopped working on your behalf. Stay expectant, because your God wink is coming, and it will remind you that faith makes the impossible, very much possible.
With faith-filled expectation,
Pastor Tamara
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