Sowing, Watering, and Reaping

 Disclaimer: Obviously I am not an actual angel. However, I feel like God speaks to my heart and I would love to share it with you. Please enjoy.

When my father was alive he would constantly talk to strangers about God. He was a pastor and always talked to most everyone he met, and the conversation almost always came around to witnessing to them.

About a month after he died I was sitting thinking about him and suddenly I thought about all the people he would have told about God, but now he was gone. I was overwhelmed with the thought and I asked God who was going to tell all those people about salvation now that Dad couldn’t do it. I felt God very clearly say, “That is your job now. Your father has passed the mantle to you.”

That was scary for me, but I knew it was true.

I tried to speak to people about God but I wasn’t very good at it.

Then my mother ended up in a nursing home for the last few months of her life.

One evening I went in to see her. When I got there a new lady was in the second bed. She told me mom was asleep. She said her name was Pearl, and said she had cancer and it was very painful. She also told me she wasn’t going to live much longer.

I instantly knew God wanted me to talk to her about Him but it scared me to death. I told God I didn’t know how to talk to a dying person about eternity. I was afraid it would upset her, after all she didn’t even know me. God let me know I had to talk to her anyway. I said I would get to know her for a few days and then I would do it.

Fortunately, He wouldn’t let me off the hook. He said she might die before then, or she could be moved to another room or hospital. After several minutes of arguing with God, I finally sighed and told Him He would have to help me because I had no idea what to say to her.

I mustered up all my courage and started talking to her. To my surprise, she was very happy about it. I asked her if she would like to pray and she said “yes”. Laying my hand on her shoulder I said to just talk to God and ask Him to forgive your sins. I didn’t tell her what to say but I prayed out loud in a way I thought would be an example to her. Then I heard her praying also. Opening my eyes, I saw she had both hands raised in the air and was pouring her heart out to God.

When we said “amen” she turned and looked at me and said her children were going to be so happy. They had been trying to get her to do that for over 30 years.

Instantly I felt so guilty. In my heart I said, “Oh God, this is so unfair. Her children have been trying to lead her to You for over 30 years, and then I walk in here and lead her to you in just a few minutes. They should have gotten to do this, not me.”

God comforted me by telling me this is the way He does it. One person sows a seed, another person waters, and another person reaps. He explained it to me by reminding me of all my friends in Connecticut who I should have witnessed to, but at the time I lived there I wasn’t even serving the Lord, so I never said anything to them. I have completely lost touch with most of them and have no idea where they are. But, I pray for them all the time. God told me that because of my prayers He sends people to talk to them.

In eternity I believe some of them will walk up to me and thank me for the prayers. I could not witness to them myself but God had someone to reap.

From the day Pearl gave her heart to the Lord, every time my sister Diane and her husband Harold (they are ministers), or I walked into the room, Pearl would be praying or reading her Bible. She would look up and say, “Just spending a little time with my Jesus.” A few weeks later she was sent home. After about another month her children called Diane and Harold and told them she had passed away. They wanted us to do her funeral. Harold did the service and sermon, Diane played the organ and I sang.

In about 2 months time we went from not even knowing her, to handling the funeral for a wonderful Christian lady. That would not have happened if I hadn’t done what God told me. Believe me, I did it kicking and screaming because I was so scared. No matter how afraid you are, do what God tells you to do. You will never regret it.

Sowing, watering, and reaping is God’s system, and it really works. When you sow or water, trust that God will send someone to reap. And, when you reap what other people sowed or watered, never feel guilty about it. That is the way God answers our prayers about people who might be halfway around the world from us. We can’t be everywhere, but God is.

Sowing, watering, and reaping is a very efficient system. Trust it. God knows what He is doing. If you do your part, God can do His.

Think about it.

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