I love seeing things grow. In my community garden plot I have many different vegetables and some flowers. I regularly go there to water, sometimes I have to pull some weeds, I sow, I plant, and with a lot of patience I harvest.

This week I was able to pull some carrots. Some were a bit premature but had to go to give space to the other carrots left and right of them. They are sweet.

To get those carrots was a long process, including that I had a hard time finding seeds. When I was looking for seeds in the shops, they were all sold out and in the end I only got some because of the friendliness of a local farmer, who gave me a little bag from his big bucket of seeds. In fact, he gave me enough to share the seeds with others who could not find carrot seeds in the shop either. What a blessing.

I had the ground ready, tilted and weed free, and I sowed several short rows of carrots, watered them and then I had to wait, wait, wait …

It took about eight to ten days before I even saw the tiniest little plants grow. I watered again, and then I waited, waited, waited …

All that was back in January and now I get my first carrots. I guess when we buy carrots in the shop we hardly ever consider how long it takes for them to grow, how much work and care go into them.

Gardeners and farmers need a lot of patience. When the Apostle Paul tried to explain the essence of love to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 13, patience was the first attribute he mentioned. From verse 4 to 8a he lists the qualities of love: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (NIV)

People develop even slower than plants at times. Almost every skill takes a long process to develop, and a lot of patience. Nobody is born and can walk, we cannot even crawl when we are born.

It is a process of trial and error, of success and lots of failure. That is why we need so much love, love that is patient and kind and has all the other qualities, Paul wrote about.

Deep down we know that, though it is easy to forget as well. We know that we all have to learn and we even have schools where our children spend more than a decade to develop knowledge and skills, again, often accompanied with set backs, problems, even tears when success takes time.

If you thought that school will graduate you into perfection, think again. There is so much for us to learn, so much to try, so much to work on! Not only academic or professional skills, but so much more. Life requires a lot of patience, and that is why Paul begins with “Love is patient.”

Wise people develop patience for others and for themselves. We are not meant to be perfect, but to progress, to develop and evolve. That is even true for our faith. Faith is like a delicate little plant. It needs a lot of care and nurturing.

To the young Church in Philippi Paul wrote: “I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

Yes, our faith needs time and needs to develop as well. It is beautiful if one has a sudden conversion and turn to Christ from one moment to the next. However, many of us are brought up in faith by parents or grandparents in many little steps, trusting their witness so that our faith can grow like a little plant.

No matter how one became a Christian, we all need continued education in our faith. We need spiritual food, learn to try new aspects of faith, learn from brothers and sisters, and in this process learn to trust God.

God is the one who gives faith. It is his spirit that moves inside of us so that we may begin to understand what God has in store for us, what his plans are with us. It is not always a straight and wide road, in contrast, at times it is a narrow path with obstacles and even dead ends.

God’s love is there along the way. God does not expect you to be perfect from the start. He loves you already even when you fail, mess up, or coast along for a while. In his eyes you are worthy of his love even before you grow up, straighten out your way.

His love for you began before you were even born. If God would only love those who are perfect Christians, he would have little reason to rejoice. God is not interested in perfection, but in progress. His love is patient, kind and open for improvement.

In the same way he wants us to love each other. Not because those around us are perfect, not because they do everything right all the time, but simply so that we can be happy. Right, loving others who are not yet perfect can create happiness.

If we wait for others to be perfect before we can love them, we will never enjoy the happiness of love. We are not meant to be perfect. You are not perfect either.

Love is love because it can overlook imperfection. It does not keep a record of wrongs, does not boast with the own achievement and can celebrate with others their achievements, as love does not envy, nor is it too proud to let others shine as well.

Just as Paul wrote in the next verse to the Philippians: “It is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart.” (Philippians 1:7 NLT)

We are called to make room in our hearts for those who live with us, close by or far away, and be confident that they will rather celebrate with us than judge us on our journey of faith.

• Karsten Decker was the pastor of Peace Lutheran Church in Bermuda from 2010 to 2017, and after returning from Germany is now the temporary pulpit supply at Centenary United Methodist Church in Smith’s