We Can All PLANT and WATER!!

" ...as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building."

1 Corinthians 3:5b-9

When people asked me why I wanted to be back in New Orleans by March, my first response was and is I wanted to PLANT! Plant what you may ask? I want to plant seeds in the minds and hearts of spring break volunteers to come serve with our ministry as interns and allow God to reveal to them if this is something they should pursue. Over the next 2 weeks we have 8 teams coming to serve in NOLA, 4 of those teams are college students.

The verses above remind me day after day that my role is to PLANT!  It is God's job to make it grow.  I cannot take responsibility for someone's decision to serve or not serve with us.  I must trust God that He knows best!

I've come up with the following acronym for PLANT and WATER to fit my calling:

P - Pray
L - Look

A - Ask

N - Next

T - TouchGlobal Interns!

W - Walk
A - Alongside
T - The
E - Encouraged
R - Recruit

I recognize that to obediently PLANT according to God's will means I must PRAY and ask God to give me wisdom about who to LOOK for and ASK them to pray about becoming the NEXT TouchGlobal intern. 

I can't help but notice that there is another role indicated in these verses...the role of WATERing.  Watering comes after you plant because why water where a seed hasn't been planted.  To me, the essence of watering is to Walk Alongside The Encouraged Recruit.  We want to walk alongside the potential interns to encourage them to seek God's will for them this summer...again it is God who makes it grow.

As I type this post, I realize that I'm not the only one who can PLANT and WATER for TouchGlobal interns.  All of you reading this blog may know someone who could intern with our ministry..it may even be you!  If that's the case or you know someone, here's my email: katie.hooks@efca.org :)

Just FYI, PLANTing and WATERing is not just for recruitment of interns but to plant and water the seed of the Good News of Jesus Christ as in the context of 1 Corinthians.  So in case you are struggling with feeling responsible for someone's spiritual growth or lack thereof, just know that your role is to plant and/or water...then trust the rest to God. For He is the one who transforms hearts...not us.

If you are raising support, again it is your role to plant the seed of inviting someone to become a ministry partner with you. It's God's role to make that seed grow and raise up your ministry partners.

So I don't know about you but I feel a little relieved and empowered to plant and water knowing that IT IS God who makes it grow.  He is the one ultimately in charge and if I do my part, perhaps the results will be full grown interns!  And yes God is God so if not a single intern is recruited this spring break season, does that make Him any less God...absolutely NOT!  He is the GOD of the cause and the effect.  NOTHING in His character changes no matter the results. Praise God for He is the SAME yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8)

So happy planting and/or watering!

Katie :)