Growing tomato plants
In his book the The Secret Message of Jesus, Brian McLaren recounts a call that he received from a man he didn’t know, saying he was the father of Scott Crabb. The name rang a bell as he went through the catalogue of names in his mind. He remembered Scott as a teenager he counseled at church camp years earlier, when Brian was in college. Brian said, “As I recall, I taught him to play four or five chords on the guitar.” “That’s why I’m calling,” Scott’s dad replied. “You told my son something else.” “I used to tell people if they really want to learn to play, buy a guitar but don’t ever put it in the case. Leave it out, and they’re more likely to pick it up and play it when they sit in front of the TV or whatever.” Mr. Crabb said, “Yes, and Scott did exactly what you said. He went on to major in classical guitar in college. In fact, he received a master’s degree in guitar performance. During his studies, Master Segovia heard him play and invited him to be one of his last students.” Brian writes, “A smile spread across my face. To think that a teenager I had helped become interested in guitar had gone on to become a student of the greatest classical guitarist ever!”
Now I have received a lot of calls like that and every time I do it brings a big smile to my face. You forget about the people that criticize you, you forget the extra hours you put in late at night to finish up stuff you didn’t have time to do, you forget all the bad stuff because that one call made it all worthwhile. But as I read that I began to think, I get the phone call usually because I am the guy at the end of the line. I am the guy that gets the credit. I wonder how many guys, like Brian, who may have planted the seed actually get the credit.
The difference in Brian’s story (and mine) is that he got the call; he heard the results of his work. Often many of you don’t but that doesn’t mean that your part in evangelism is not important. Every time you invite someone to church, every time you give God glory, every time you give a cup of cold water in his name you are planting a seed. You may never see the harvest and you may never get a call, but you can smile anyway knowing you had a part in God’s work.
On earth, it’s usually the last in line that gets the credit. But God sees the whole process; he recognizes the role you play in the lives of others.