No amount of persuasion is adequate if we fail to hear the word of God with our hearts and implement it into our daily lifestyle. In many ways, the Christian life is like planting a garden. However, a bountiful yield depends upon the investment of our time, labor, and love spent on our knees. A gardener who remains on his porch admiring the plot allocated for growth will only see the infiltration of weeds and pests choking the life out of the potential of that garden. In the words of Sister Carol, we are our biggest stumbling block (as spiritual gardeners) to producing an abundant life in Christ.