Monday, August 18, 2014

Don't Let your Seeds be Stolen!

Take a look at this picture- a good close look. What is wrong with it? So here is how the story goes. I was blessed to be able to go to the Indiana State Fair with some friends a couple of weeks ago. While we were there, I was given some seeds/ a kit to grow my own “Pizza Garden”, complete with tomato, banana pepper, oregano, and basil. With the guidance of my Uncle and Grandpa (I know next to nothing of growing plants from seeds!), I excitedly took a Sunday afternoon to swell the little seed protection pellets, mix the dirt, plant the seeds, and water them. I left them outside to get sunlight and checked on them every evening to give them water. I knew that I would have to bring them inside as soon as they sprouted so our lovely twin fawns would not see them as a delectible appetizer. One day, while skyping my best friend in Honduras, I gasped as I saw my three pots. All three had a hole right in the middle of the moist dirt. All three had the seed pellets exposed and filleted open. All three had all of the seeds missing. I could not stop from laughing/crying! It was a pretty hysterical sight! My first planting experience as “Master Gardener” gone to nothing…
As I thought of all of the Biblical connotations to this story, I drew a few conclusions. The story of the Sower came to mind (Matthew 13) along with several others, but you know what? Sometimes, I think that God just gives us experiences like that to remind us to laugh at the shortness of life on this earth!
Ironically enough, that Sunday we focused on time. On the way to church that Sunday, the song by Steven Curtis Chapman of the “Glorious Unfolding” came on the radio. Take some time to listen to the lyrics! They are beautiful. In the car, God was speaking to me through the lyrics of not forgetting that our time here on this earth is just a small piece of eternity. Gods kingdom is starting now! God pushed that thought in a little further when we listened to the podcast by Andy Stanley about time in Sunday School. His focus was on Ephesians 5:15-16 and about how we are called to redeem the time by focusing on what is truly important. THEN that night in my devotions, I opened up Jesus Calling to find (I will give you one guess…) Ephesians 5:15-16. When God hits me with a concept three times in one day, I think that it is time that I listen!  Time is precious! One minute we can be growing and the next minute we can be squirrel food! (For all of my IWU cohorts… I bet it was Phillip the squirrel!) Or if you prefer the Biblical analogy, we could be dried up, burnt grass. I pray that my every moment, I would live for something that counts- SomeONE that counts! That is my prayer for each of you as well!
“Be very careful, then, how you live- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” (Ephesians 5:15-17, NIV)

Remember, our time does not stop when we die, it just continues on for eternity!