Leaky Pails

      One of my sons, his 4-year old daughter (my granddaughter) and I share a community garden plot together. Two weeks ago, as soon as the soil was no longer frozen, the three of us met in the garden. My son spread a blanket for his daughter to have a picnic. She would not eat her banana, unless I would eat half of it (and she seemed concerned that I brought myself no food).
We turned over soil, raked and set up wooden borders for the raised garden beds.
      The next week we met again, bringing seedlings and seed to plant. Since I had stored our garden hose for the winter, it was expected that I would bring the hose. How can seedlings be planted without water? But, of course, I forgot not only the hose, but also my contribution of seeds, though I did remember to bring my hoe, spade, trowel and gardening gloves. My granddaughter brought a child-sized rake, three small pails and a tiny watering can. She does not like to use her rake, unless my son or I show an interest in using it.
      Having planted the seedlings, it was imperative to water them. My granddaughter gave us permission to use her pails. When I walked to the community faucet, the water would not turn on, so I assumed it was too early in the spring for the community water system to be on. Checking the second faucet, it also would not turn on. However, there was a large, 10-gallon bucket, filled with water nearby. So I filled two small pails with water and discovered that both of them had large cracks in the bottom, so they leaked. Only the 3rd pail had no leak. With all three pails of water, I ran to the garden, two of the pails leaking all the way. My son shouted, "Run, Mima, run!" so that there might be a little water left for the seedlings. Then we did not have to pour the water, but just hold the leaking pails over the seedlings. Later we learned that the faucets actually were working, so water was plentiful afterall, and my son and I made multiple trips to the faucet, as did my granddaughter. She was so pleased that her little pails were so important!
      How it is with our Heavenly Father, who can do His best work, using the broken and leaking vessels that we are, when we trust Him! And how we need to persevere, even if it looks like the water is not turned on!