“You know who your teachers were, and you remember that ever since you were a child, you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:14-15 (TEV)
DUE to my mother’s ill health, my siblings and I were responsible for clearing her vegetable garden after the harvest. As we cleared away the plants, she instructed us, “Save the seeds!” An avid gardener, she knew the unique hope in each tiny seed. In the spring after she died, we discovered the seeds. As she had taught us, we planted the garden. We worked together joyfully, placing each seed into the soil; eventually we shared a bountiful harvest. After another growing season, I came to realize a deeper meaning in my mother’s words. We are to “save the seeds” of our faith and plant the good news of God’s love. Our responsibility is to carry the word of God into the world so that others may be saved. We may not plant her garden again next spring, but each of us will continue to plant tiny seeds of faith. In tending her garden, I have found my own. Every day is a good day to plant seeds.
Kathy Bingham Powell (North Carolina, USA)
Friends, I was captivated by the words in the story, “she knew the unique hope in each tiny seed.”Being a gardener, I plant seeds and/or seedlings. Seeds are a bit more challenging; nevertheless, the challenge is well worth the effort. “Unique Hope” is a wonderful thought. What if we were to look at people through the eyes of Christ in that manner? Christ saw the unique hope in his disciples, Samaritan woman, the paralytic, or the Gerasene man in shackles (Mark 5). God sees the unique hope in each of us when we are planted in his kingdom work… then, and only then, can God bring the greatest of harvest through our efforts.
It is Friday, six days before Christmas Day, five days before the Christmas Eve services (4:00, 6:00, 8:00, 11:00 p.m.). Think about this, “What will you be planting this Christmas season, in 2015, or will you wait and wait?” Open your hands, your heart, and your eyes and see the unique hope before you. It is full of possibilities.
See you Sunday… Shalom!
This particular story from Kathy Bingham Powell came as an email from the Upper Room Devotional ministry of the church. I would encourage you to subscribe to it for daily blessings at upperroom.org – it is a free subscription!