Dirt Babies

Had a funny conversation with Anna yesterday that ended up with a simple but profound truth that I needed to hear. I’d been gone all weekend and was trying to get caught up with her on homework projects, etc., and we were talking about her latest science project. This one is called “Dirt Babies.” :) Basically, the kids have to put some dirt with grass seeds inside of pantyhose and then decorate the panty hose to look like their favorite scientist’s face and hope that the grass seeds sprout on top of the head to look like hair (think chia pet!). Of course there’s watering to do and I guess the right amount of sunlight is a key… and they have to write up a ‘lab’ and keep track of what they are doing to their “dirt baby” to help it along. So here was the conversation:

Me: So how’s your dirt baby coming along?
Anna: Fine.
Me: Do you have to write down what you are doing with it?
Anna: Yeah. I’ve been giving it water.
Me: So is the grass growing?
Anna: No.
Me: Is everyone else’s grass growing?
Anna: Yeah, mostly.
Me: Well, why isn’t yours?
Anna: Well, I started a day behind because I forgot my pantyhose…
Me: Oh, yeah… well, what happens if your grass doesn’t grow?
Anna: (with a bit of irritation at all my questions) I don’t know!
Me: Well, will you get a bad grade if the grass doesn’t grow?
Anna: (now really annoyed) Mommmm! NO – I can’t exactly MAKE the grass grow!!
Me: (feeling a little silly) Oh… yeah… good point.

At this point I stopped the torture with my questions and this verse came to mind:

"What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building." I Cor. 3:5-9

And I was reminded, yet again, of the fact that my purpose and use here to God is to plant and to water… but when things GROW – well, that’s God’s business and His doing. And He gets all the glory! Oh, how I want to will myself to grow… and how I want to find ways to make myself be who I think I ought to be and where I think I ought to be. But am I patient enough to do the planting and the watering and trusting enough to rest in faith that God will ‘grow the grass on my head’ in His time?... :)