Seeds

“The Tiny Seed”, written by Eric Carle, is one of my favorite children’s stories.  It tells the story of a group of seeds that are blown from the center of a sunflower and the journey they take in search of new life.  As the seeds are blown away, a few fall into a deep, dry crack in the middle of the desert.  New life cannot sprout from the seeds because of the harsh conditions of the desert.  Lack of water and shade leave the seeds to wither away.  As the journey continues, the remaining group of seeds sails across the ocean with a few falling into the sea.  They soon are eaten by the fish below.  A handful of seeds remain, including the smallest seed of all.  It has remained safe because of being so small and light.  The winds continued to carry it away, while the others fell.  Soon all but the tiny seed were gone, the rest falling among a group of weeds with no room to grow.  The journey for the tiny seed ended when the wind gently sat it down in the rich soil of a flower garden.  Although it was the smallest seed of the group, it had survived the dangerous journey and would soon grow and blossom into the biggest sunflower in the garden.  The farmer was amazed and wondered why this sunflower stood so much taller than any of the others in the garden.  Perhaps it was because of the journey it had taken. 

There are many lessons we can learn from nature and the wonder of God’s creations.  It is amazing how a seed of any size can turn into the most beautiful flower or plant, or provide us with the gift of food.  But we all know as the story above suggest that seeds must be planted in the right place and taken care of in order to reach their potential.  Rich soil, life giving water, and warm sunshine help the seed to grow.  But of course before anything happens, we have to plant the seed.   So it is with the “seeds” that God has given us.  They may come in all shapes and sizes and may end up turning into the most amazing things, but nothing will happen unless we take them out of our pocket!  Once we do that, we have three choices. One, we can simply hold on to the seeds because we are too afraid that we may plant them in the wrong place. Two, we can plant them in a place that we think they will survive despite their surroundings, only to watch them wither and die. Or three, we can sow them in the garden of God’s love and protection. I think three is the best choice don’t you?  Of course there will be sunny days in the garden where all the seeds will flourish and grow, and there will be stormy days, where the seeds will cling to the soil so they won’t be washed away.  Whatever the condition of the garden, I feel so comforted in knowing that I’m not the master of the garden; Jesus is. If I allow Him to do His work in me, and grow where I’m planted, amazing things will happen.   Remember, you reap what you sow.

Peace, 

Kelly