by Betty Young

“Others are like the seed planted in the good ground. They hear the teaching and accept it. Then they grow and produce fruit—sometimes thirty times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes a hundred times more.” ~~Mark 4:20

Their story is like so many other stories. It is a story about an immigrant family travelling to the United States from an obscure village near Fuzhou, China. They came with nothing but a willingness to work hard. They didn’t come for themselves. They came for the sake of their children’s future.

And then, in the midst of all that hard work, Mom came to know the Lord. Now there was joy in her hard work and assurance of the Lord’s provision. The weekends were no longer just more time to labor but now Sundays were a time for worshipping God and Saturdays were dedicated to the family and leisure. She could rest in the assurance of God’s promise of life and life abundant. It wasn’t long before Grandma came to know the Lord, and then Dad; both having observed the changes in Mom’s new life.

They joined a Bible Study and then a church and quickly became involved in the church’s programs. They opened their humble home to regular fellowship meetings, weekly Bible studies and the church’s special events. The Spirit moved and they grew in the knowledge and wisdom of God.

In time both children went away to college and got involved in parachurch organizations. There they were challenged to take God seriously. They met with other believers who gathered in one accord to do life together with Christ.

Fast forward to the present. Last month I attended their son’s wedding. His bride was the daughter of the pastor who delivered the message. There was so much joy at the ceremony and happiness showed in the faces of the parents and the grandparents. They recounted all God’s blessings and each gave testimony of how He orchestrated their lives.

As believers, our job is to plant seeds. We hide them in the earth. As we water and nurture, God does the mysterious work of causing growth in accordance to His perfect timing and for His Glory!