Planting Seeds

Last week we had some pretty major storms in the Hampton Roads area. Several tornadoes touched down in the span of a few days with a series of severe storms that moved through the area. The first evening, when the alarms started going off simultaneously on our phones and home alarm system, I didn’t think much of it and proceeded with fixing dinner and our usual evening routine, finding out later that tornadoes touched down very close to us. The second time, I took notice and we “hid” from the storm with flashlights and books in a briefly fun adventure with the kiddos. That afternoon we were eating lunch, and as the sky darkened and the winds picked up, Addisyn looked at me with concern in her eyes. “Mommy, will you pray for the storm and to keep us safe?” I smiled inside and obliged, we’ve taught her that any time fear arises, you seek the help of the Lord, she gets it. After saying Amen, she looked at me contently, “now the rain is going to help our garden grow!”  That’s right baby girl, because we planted those seeds. We’ve planted seeds in our children, and in our garden, and I’m so excited to watch them all grow.

A relationship with Christ is just like a garden if you think of it. Springtime is among my favorite time of the year. The birds chirping, the fresh air, the warm sun and blue skies that turn gray with an approaching storm to bring much needed rain.  The anticipation of flowers blooming, and garden sprouts erupting, the joy of seeing something you toil over being fruitful. Did you know that even gardening is biblical? The book of Jeremiah describes the clear direction that the Lord gave the Israelites to be fruitful and multiply, to plant gardens and eat what they produce, and if they were faithful He would restore them in His time. Relationships must be approached like a garden, and a relationship with Christ is no exception.  You must plant a seed, put work into it, have a mutual relationship with the earth and the seed where both benefit, pour into it to provide nourishment, strengthen it with the right ingredients, and often times have patience. You must respect what that relationship is for it to be able to bear fruit and be plentiful. Fail to provide necessary attention to any of these details and your garden or relationship might not be fruitful. Walking with Christ is not a guarantee that your skies will always be blue, but the Lord does promise to provide what we need in His timing, and not our own.

I will be the first to admit that my life has had moments that have shaken me to my core, and brought intense sadness and grief. Losing my beautiful sister, who absolutely adored the change of the seasons and celebrating our risen Saviour this time of year is the hardest thing I have ever endured, and that impact affects me often. God doesn’t promise an easy walk, although he promises to be present and sustain us.  Recently I was talking to a friend about relationships. She was giving me her un-biased opinion and being a listening ear ( a much needed quality in a friendship); she didn’t have answers or solutions,  but she had a reminder that God’s love is able to cover a multitude of sins, so surely it could cover what appeared to be thoughtlessness of another person in my eyes. And she’s so right, God’s love and faith covers us. Even when we don’t tend our garden, he sends much needed rain. Thank you God for being such a loving, attentive God.

Every morning when the children wake, they run to our bedroom window to look out.  Josiah loves to gaze out at the birds, and Addy asks to see the “eggs”, a family of robins has carefully placed a nest right in the middle of my newest flowers added to my front porch. Four perfectly shaped, slightly speckled, robin’s eggs sit nestled amongst the pink and red flowers that adorn the basket.  Each evening when we take the basket down to water it, the mother bird (who is always close by) becomes fretted and uneasily flies a flight pattern to keep watch of her precious eggs.  God does that for us. He is ever watching, ever waiting for the time that we need Him, and we don’t even have to ask. It is such a blessing to watch my daughter’s excitement over those eggs, and our garden too.  Each morning she anxiously wants to check and see if they hatched, she has anticipation, and excitement just like that mama-bird. Last night, I showed her the sprouts that have started in our garden, and explained the process of what she would see happen over the next few weeks. Her big blue eyes twinkled with excitement and she said she had to run tell her Daddy, because “we grew that Mommy!”  Each relationship, with Christ and others, need only to be tended and attended to, to bear fruit, and it all starts with a seed.

Jeremiah 29:11- “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” -NIV