Seeds

*SEEDS

By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly

Spring has sprung, and the nearby hills are lush, green and dotted with wildflowers.  The landscape is full of life.

Just about every living thing comes from seeds—plants, animals, and even people, started out that way.  And once fertilized and planted, they take root.  From a little seed as small as a grain of sand, a huge mustard plant grows, and a giant oak rises up from a tiny acorn.

Planting and harvesting are mentioned throughout scripture, not simply as a lovely aside, but because they are principles inextricably woven into the tapestry of life on this planet.

We reap what we sow.

I may not gave a green thumb, but I still plant every day.  So do you.  We have a variety of seeds from which to choose—seeds of encouragement, empathy, compassion and kindness.  We also can plant criticism, insult, condemnation and cruelty.

Watching friends who are currently reaping a harvest of grief from long ago planted seeds, I am reminded that once seeds disappear under the soil, they aren’t gone.  They are growing.  And the same seeds that we plant in our neighbors’s field, will one day bring a harvest of our own, multiplied 30, 60 or 100 fold (Matt 13:8)—a joyful or horrifying thought, depending on the seed.

“Those who are kind benefit themselves, but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.”
– Proverbs‬ ‭11:17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I want to reap blessing.  How about you?

Father, we see such unkindness in our world.  We say and do things to one another that discourage, crush and curse.  We forget that, like You, our words hold seeds of creation.  Teach us to speak life and not death.

Lord, bless us with understanding, so we will be wise in our planting.  Do a work in our hearts, so we will desire to build one another up (1 Thessalonians 5:11). Give us eyes that see the good and are eager to encourage, and hearts that are full of wisdom and love, and are eager to bless.

Then when fall arrives, may we be glad for what we planted in the spring.  At harvest, may our barns be full of blessings, our mouth full of laughter and our cups overflowing with joy.  In Jesus’ Name ❤️

https://www.facebook.com/Prayers-of-a-Ragamuffin-Warrior-171515087035441/

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