Seeds require a certain amount of TLC in order to thrive, just the same as Christians. Some seeds need more space, some need more water, some need sandy soil while others like a dark rich soil, some need a lot of light and others prefer the shade. Just like the seeds of all the different plants, when the seeds of our Christian faith are being planted, each of us require slightly different levels of care in various areas of our life.
For some it takes someone pushing us along each step of the way and just being out right in our face. For others, we need the gentle some gentle guidance and if pushed too much we will turn the other way.
We learn in Matthew 13 about seeds planted along the way and how not having just the right nurturing in the right soil will result in our own demise. As we continue to reflect and learn our own story, think back on some of those seeds. Were there times in your life when seeds were being planted, but due to certain circumstances they didn't get a chance to take root? Times when maybe you were on fire for God, but only for a brief moment, times when you were on fire for God for long stretches but then something got in the way and so you quickly turned?
I ask that you take some time now to really open up and be honest with yourself. It is okay that there were times in your life when maybe our faith wasn't thriving because the right combination of seed, soil, and care just weren't there at the time. Times when maybe you started to believe, but life immediately got hard so you quit. Times when you were pushed too hard and frightened away from God.
As with every post, please feel free to share your story here in the comments.
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Being a teen is hard. There are so many expectations and influences in the world. For me, my preteen and early teen years didn't start out maybe as I had dreamed they would, but I did find a lifetime best friend during this time. Actually made quite a few friends, but one in particular was a seed planter.
At some point, not quite sure when, we started going to church together. I enjoyed being at church with her and I will always choke up and tears will well in my eyes at certain songs because all I can see is her singing to the top of her lungs with that light up the room smile and dimpled cheeks. Such love for God.
Unfortunately we drifted after we were no longer in the same school together. Sure we still spent hours on the phone and weekends with each other, but they stays weren't as often. As a matter of fact, this may be one of those times when the seeds planted weren't getting the nurturing I needed. You see, my friend who used to love a lot of the same music as I did started to only listen to country and Christian music because the other stuff was so bad. I personally felt like I was being looked down upon, judged, because I still loved to rock out to all my 80s hairbands and the rock of the 90s as well as many of the current top 40 hits. I also didn't quite get how country music was any better since there were so many songs out that also promoted the same things being promoted in other music genres. When you are 13 years old or so, you just don't see past yourself too well. So we slowly drifted apart.
Despite this drifting though, she is still one of my best friends and we can pick up the phone (or more like text and Facebook) each other without skipping a beat. As a matter of fact, I doubt she even realized how I truly felt back then and all because of something as simple as music tastes changing. I realize this was one of the times seeds were being planted and attempted to be cared for in my Christian walk, but I let worldly things and people get in the way. And irony of ironies, while I still enjoy my wide variety of music selection, I am now that person who keeps the local Christian station tuned on my radio, rocking out at Christian concerts, and beaming at hearing my children sing those Christian songs with their hands raised in praise.
Let's pray:
God, I thank you for the differences in each and every one of us. I pray that you will continue to provide us with the individualized nourishment each of us needs in order to be firmly planted in your foundation and to grow so that we may share the joy of you with others and help them come to know you. I thank you for the opportunity to reach out to others and get us sharing our stories just as you expect us to do. In your name I pray,
Amen.
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