“Seeds of Grace”

May 12, 2021
Midweek study with Pastor Edith 


A garden is a wonderful thing. A garden gives us a reason to get in touch with creation, to feel the soil, to experience the weeding out of the bad and tilling in the good. Yes, a garden can be a very good thing. But what if the garden poses resistance; weeds grow faster than produce, bugs infest what is growing, rain doesn’t come and plants wither, and all you see is work, work, work. I am not a professional gardener. Ok, maybe a few tomato plants in pots on the patio, but, to tend rows of cabbage, zucchini, spinach and squash, well now, that is a different type of gardening. And yet, we are attempting to do this very thing this year.

Many of you know me personally and understand that the last thing I needed was one more thing to do on my “To Do” list, and yet, with the provocation, or shall I say the “daring” of a family member, my husband and I have taken the challenge. Please pray we stayed married through it all (we just celebrated 35 years in April) Here’s where scripture helps me through even things like this: “Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes and showers righteousness on you” (Hosea 10:12-11).

To keep the context of this verse; Hosea was a prophet sent by God to an unfaithful people who sought to please themselves and even sacrificed to false gods, the least of which was to give of their crops to these pagan deities. Now, before you get lost in this and shut me off, PLEASE HEAR THIS! The Bible speaks throughout all time and eternity. Remember, we are talking about people, and yes, you and I are people who tend to get lost in the pattern of this world to seek for ourselves, to comfort ourselves, to build up ourselves, when all the time the God who created all human beings is calling all human beings to seek him first, and when we do, he shows the way.

You see, we were meant to be “seed bearers” for the world around us. Many of you do just that. At this posting, I have dear ones in my life who are grieving great loss and yet, reach out and love others. I know of isolated individuals who give all they can to love and care for others even if they can’t be with them. I have been encouraged and cared for in simple and profound ways when I felt like giving up on the work God has for me to do. I will close this meditation with an inspiring word from “Miss Maple” from the book; Miss Maples Seeds written by Eliza Wheeler: “Take care my little ones, for the world is big and you are small. But never forget…even the grandest of trees once had to grow up from the smallest of seeds.”

What seeds can you plant today?

Ankle deep in soil with you, Edith