June 2026 · Thought for the month
A Time to Grow
“I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.”
June is a hopeful sort of month.
Gardens begin to show off. Roses suddenly become extroverts. Lawnmowers roar into action at 8am on a Saturday morning as though participating in some ancient suburban ritual. Somewhere in Britain, a man in shorts is confidently declaring, “That should be enough sun cream,” moments before turning the colour of a ripe tomato.
June is the month of growth.
Not instant growth… we’re far too impatient for that. We live in the age of next-day delivery and microwave meals that proudly cook in “just 90 seconds.” But God’s growth rarely works like Amazon Prime.
Paul reminds us in Corinthians that growth is often slow, hidden, and shared. One person plants. Another waters. God makes it grow. The miracle happens beneath the surface long before anyone sees flowers.
That is true in gardens. And it is true in life.
Most of us want dramatic transformation. We would love spiritual maturity to arrive like a fitness advert: “Become patient, joyful, and wise in only six easy steps!”
Instead, God usually works more like gardening than manufacturing.
A kind word here. A difficult lesson there. A prayer that seems unanswered. A season of waiting.
And somehow, over time, roots deepen.
June also brings exam season, weddings, Father’s Day, and the beginning of summer holidays. It is a month when many people ask, “What’s next?” Growth can feel messy and uncertain, a bit like trying to tell the difference between a thriving plant and a weed you’ve accidentally been watering for three weeks.
Yet God remains wonderfully patient.
The good news is that God never asks us to manufacture growth. He simply asks us to be faithful in the planting and watering. We do the small things with love. God handles the miracle.
So this month, may we notice the quiet growth in ourselves and others. May we trust that even hidden roots matter. And may we remember that God is still at work… even when nothing much seems to be happening.
After all, every mighty oak tree once looked like a stick in the ground that someone forgot to throw away.
And if Britain gets three consecutive sunny days this June, let us receive that blessing with gratitude… and immediate concern about hosepipe bans.
Happy June.
Neil
Rev Neil Redeyoff