Sow a Seed

Last week I was in my backyard watering a vine my parents gave me from their garden.  My version pales in comparison to theirs, but it doesn’t resemble chopsticks yet so I keep watering it. 

Beautiful purple flowers are actually blooming, but what caught my eye last week are the seed pods.  They resemble a pea pod but in a rich plum color. 

I started thinking about how beautiful the seed pod was and just could not let it go. God could have created that seed pod any old way he wanted but he made it this pretty plum color.  How awesome is God that he does that?  I mean, God could have made its reproduction mechanism in a thousand other, boring ways but he didn’t.

Just a day or two later I ran into this amazing set of Pinterest boards.  I wanted to print every board as a magazine, grab a cup of coffee in front of our fireplace and flip through slowly.

I ran into one particular board that left tears streaming down my face. 

The title of the board is Nuts, Pods & Seeds.  I’d never really thought much about nuts, pods or seeds much but given my fascination with my vine just days prior, I was glued.

So many beautiful, unique ways for these plants and flowers to reproduce. I can hardly stand it.

I started thinking about God’s Kingdom and all these seeds. 

In Luke, Jesus teaches a parable about seeds.  He says the seed is the word of God.  The word of God is planted in a person’s heart and for those that seize it and hold on, it reaches a harvest.

Before His ascension, Jesus sent us on the Great Commission to make disciples—to plant seeds and reproduce. 

But he never really said how. 

In the same way he gave these plants unique, beautiful ways to reproduce, he gave us each a beautiful and unique way to reproduce and fulfill the Great Commission.

Just think about the one that writes

or the one that speaks

or the one that gives

or the one that paints

or the one that listens

or the one that encourages. 

Each gift plants a seed of belief in others.  But more than that, just like these seeds and pods, it’s never, not once in the same exact way.

Some writers are fragile and some are tough.

Some speakers are meant to fly and some are meant to dig deep.

Some painters paint with color and others are plain.

Some giver’s gifts are plentiful but others are not.

Some encouragers are spiky and funny and others are soft and small.

You are as unique and beautiful as these nuts, seeds and pods.  And just like these pictures brought me to tears in awe of our Creator, you and your unique gifts will do the same.

He could have designed this process in a thousand other, boring ways but he didn’t.  Aren’t you glad?