Seeds
This morning as I walked through my neighborhood, a gentle breeze blew through the trees, releasing hundreds of helicopter seeds, or samara fruit, from their parent maple trees and sending them gracefully to drop to the ground like a misty rain. I looked down and saw hundreds, if not thousands, of these seeds ready to sprout new life.
So many of these newly fallen samaras landed directly on the road I was walking on. They couldn’t grow because there was no soil to help them. They would instead be eaten by the birds, crushed, or blown away. Other whirligigs landed among the trunks of other trees, where they again had no chance of survival because they would be crowded out competing for space, water, and nutrients with their larger counterparts. Still more are found in the neighboring lawns. These might have the time to sink into the soil and sprout, but they may be cut down by a lawn mower or dug up by a dog.
As I walked, I wondered how many of these thousands of seeds would make a full-grown tree in the coming years. There are very few seeds that fall into just the right conditions. They need the soil to be soft enough for them to sink down. There needs to be nutrients and space available. And the rains have to come at just the right time. Together these conditions allow the helicopter to become a seedling, a sapling, and eventually a towering maple.
The Parable of the Sower
The samara fruit reminded me of Jesus’ Parable of the Sower from Mark 4:3-20. In the parable, Jesus speaks of four different conditions for the seeds the farmer is planting. Seeds that fell along the path, in rocky places, and among thorns did not survive into maturity. Only those seeds that fell on good soil “came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times (v. 8).”
In my mind, I have always had a limited idea of the number of attempts the farmer tossed out there for growth….a handful of seeds, maybe a couple of handfuls. However, seeing the multitude of helicopters falling all around me put into perspective how many seeds must fall to produce a single tree that is grown organically.
It led me to the symbolic meaning of the seeds and the sower. I began to realize how often we must hear a lesson before it finally lands on the good soil of an open mind and takes root. Sometimes evil is at work, and it gets in the way of us even hearing the good lesson. Other times we listen to it, but we don’t apply it to our daily lives because either it’s forgotten or our dependence on the ways of the world gets in the way. The lessons that fall on an open heart and mind that is willing to accept and apply what they’ve heard are the ones that produce fruit (v. 15-20).
Seeds For Our Children
I thought of the number of reminders my children need to learn what we are trying to teach them. We, as parents, say something to teach or remind, and they nod their heads with an “uh ha” and go on with their day. They don’t necessarily provide any indication that what we’ve said landed on good soil where it will take root or on the concrete where it will be blown away and forgotten.
Sometimes kids block us out because they are not ready or willing to hear what we say. So we sow more seeds. Some of what we have reminded them of sticks for a few days. Then they get off track, and forget the lesson. We sprinkle new seeds again. This may go on for what seems like forever as our children grow, but we must remember not to give up. There are times that what we say doesn’t seem to impact our children at the time, but weeks or months, or even years down the road, we see the evidence that they were listening and that lesson made a difference.
When it turns to a seedling, celebrate and protect it rather than strangling it with an “I told you so” or “If you just would have listened sooner.” Those words of discouragement may cause the sprout that has begun to grow to wither and die from a smug attitude. Seeds that can become strong, mature, and independent are ones which are encouraged and strengthened.
Planting Seeds With Others
The numerous seeds that must be planted are not only for our children, but also seeds to help grow God’s garden of followers. These seeds share God’s salvation and love with a friend or family member, a cashier at the grocery store, or a parent struggling with their children at the park.
We can offer them God’s love through encouragement, a helpful hand, or a story of how He has impacted our lives. It may make a difference in their present situation or it may be a thought that is stored in their memory. It can take time for someone to realize the importance of what was said. Maybe your kindness or simple reminder was one of many seeds that God was planting in that one person’s life. It may not seem significant to you, but the seed that you sow for Jesus might be the one that helps them through a situation or even brings them to Christ.
I remember when God allowed me to plant a seed in a young mother’s heart at church. She and her husband sat in front of us with three small children whispering and wiggling throughout the service. This mom seemed frazzled, and I couldn’t imagine she was getting much out of the scripture and message for that day. After the service, God prompted me to let these parents know they were doing a good job. I took the chance, even though I didn’t know them then. But I know now, probably eight years later, those same parents continue to take their children to church and teach them God’s love. I can’t ever know for sure, but I believe my words of encouragement were part of God’s growing process for this family. And it’s exciting to see the fruit that resulted from His seeds.
Be the Sower
So often, God prompts us to do or say something that seems either crazy or insignificant. We ignore it because we don’t see it as a prompting from Him, but a silly thought from our own mind. Let me assure you that God employs us as His sower to sprinkle His seeds on those who are close to us and also to the rest of the world. Sometimes our words will be crushed or cut down, but other times they will take root and grow as God intends. We may or may not ever see the fruit from this plant, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t grow.
Whether it is reminding your children to take turns or talking to someone about Jesus, there are MANY seeds to sprinkle around. We aren’t done with our work after a handful of lessons. Raising children and making disciples takes more seeds than we can imagine because we never know which will fall on fertile soil. Let’s start to reframe the way we think about these situations, and begin to see them as opportunities to serve God as He allows us to sow seeds for Him.
Jenny
Child of God, wife, parent, grandparent, teacher, and messenger. My life is messy, non-traditional, and imperfect, but I strive to be right where Jesus wants me. I love reading, traveling, and all things green!
