I’ve been so blessed to call North Alabama home for the last five years. There’s something about the lush green hills, the flowing waterfalls and rivers, and the smell of spring in the air that soothes my soul.
During my first spring here, my husband and I decided to try our hand at a bit of farming—something his grandfather had done successfully for years. With very limited information but plenty of enthusiasm, we went all out. We planted corn, beans, peas, cucumbers, tomatoes, okra, cilantro, watermelon, pumpkin, and lettuce… all at the same time—yes, all at once, lol.
Then we watered, weeded, and waited.
I now have such empathy for farmers who labor far more than we did, yet sometimes lose everything to weather or unforeseen challenges. At first, everything sprouted, and we were so excited. But then came the bugs, the heavy rains, and more weeds than we could manage. We were grateful to harvest some produce, and watching the corn grow was especially exciting.
Then came the deer.
I stood in the field with a deep sense of hopelessness. All the beautiful corn we had nurtured and tended—gone in one night. Soon after, rodents got into the watermelons.
Sigh… all that work. Now what?
“So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” — 1 Corinthians 3:7 (NIV)
As I reflected, I realized how little effort we had truly put into understanding what we were doing. Aside from reading the seed packets, we did no real research—no planning around seasons, compatibility, soil care, or proper maintenance. We simply planted and hoped.
It made me wonder… were there areas in my life where I had done the same? No plan—just doing what felt right in the moment. I’m so grateful that God, in His wisdom, does not leave us where He finds us. He shapes us, molds us, and teaches us as we walk with Him.
So what does it really mean to live a life of faith? Do we live in faith, by faith, or both?
It recently occurred to me that when we commit to following Jesus and make Yahweh our Lord and Savior, we are literally choosing to live by faith. Each day, many of us wake up thanking God for life, praising Him for who He is, and asking for His guidance and protection. That’s faith.
But truly living in faith requires a decision—a conscious, intentional choice to trust and hold firmly to God’s Word.
Do you remember the first time you heard about Jesus? I don’t. I’ve known of Him for as long as I can remember—through home, school, Sunday school, and family gatherings. There was always a reverence for God woven into the stories of His goodness. I can still recite memory verses in my sleep. Now I see those moments for what they were—seeds being planted.
When I think about the many prayers spoken over my life, I feel so humbled. Many of them I never heard, and I may not have even known the people praying for me—but they were watering seeds that had already been planted. I thank God for every single person.
It’s impossible for me to think about faith without thinking of my mother. I never fully understood her faith growing up. It seemed irrational to believe so deeply in something unseen. But don’t we all live like that?
We get into our cars, turn the key, and expect the engine to start. That’s faith.
We flip a light switch and expect the room to illuminate. That’s faith.
We planted seeds in the ground, expecting growth. That’s faith.
Just like those who prayed over us may never have seen the fruit of their prayers, we may now be part of that same cycle—planting and watering seeds in the lives of others.
So we continue to pray—without ceasing.
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” — Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
I often think about those who physically saw and heard Jesus. How confusing it must have been—to grow up on the teachings of Moses, and then encounter a man claiming to be the long-awaited Messiah.
Even Thomas had doubts after the resurrection.
“Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” — John 20:29 (NIV)
There are still things I don’t fully understand, and I may have questions for the rest of my life. In fact, the more I seek God, the more questions I seem to have. But I’ve come to accept that we truly live in faith and by faith—trusting who God says He is and believing in His love for us.
The Apostle James offers a practical perspective on this. In James 2:14–26, he reminds us that faith without works is dead. Our faith should not only be something we believe—it should be something we live out.
We begin in faith, and we continue in faith. It’s a beautiful cycle. So let us keep planting seeds in faith. Let us water them in faith. And let us trust God with the growth.
My prayer is that each of us would take a moment today to honor and praise Yahweh simply for who He is. We may not understand everything—and that’s okay. Our prayers may not have been answered yet, or not in the way we hoped—and that’s okay too.
We trust that His ways are higher than ours, and His plans are good.
He is.
He was.
And He will always be. ❤️
God’s daughter, Kaidean™️
Kaidean Rice
Lean into Jesus Ministries
#kaideanriceblogs