There seems to be nothing more determined to keep out water than dry ground. I was watering a few precious trees during our severe drought and the ground was, so coin a phrase, as hard as nails. However gently I poured the water, it could not penetrate the dry outer crust of the earth around the trees.

I put the hose on fine spray and left it running during the morning but when I went back to see what had happened, the water had simply made tiny, useless rivulets that flowed down the hillside and disappeared.

The next morning I repeated the process, letting a fine spray cover the root systems of the trees and again the water ran away.

“Useless,” I thought but being very determined to save the lives of my parched trees, I went back each day and gave them water. Water they needed and water they would have, whether they welcomed it or not!

The driest of dry ground springs to life when water is given steadily and regularly and after many days of steady, regular watering, the ground finally let it soak in. My trees were saved and a surprise greeted me. A carpet of tiny seedling trees began to shoot all over the damp ground. They had lain dormant for months but the water brought them to life.

Now I begin to understand what Jesus was talking about when he told us about the sower. He said the sower scattered seed on dry ground, on stony ground, on crowded ground and on tilled ground and mostly it seemed a useless exercise.

In the same way, our job sheet tells us to go into all the world and sow seeds of good news, even when the ground is parched. God will send the rain and we do not know where or when it will come. We only know that if the seeds have not been scattered, there is nothing to come to life even when God sends his Holy Spirit to give them life.

As Paul said, ‘I planted the seed, Apollos watered it and God made it grow.’ 1st Corinthians 3:6. Let’s just stick to the job sheet we have been given.

Elizabeth Price reprice@dragnet.com.au