Blog Archives
Things To Remember
It is that time of year again where we have multiple lists that we are checking off. These lists include added items to the usual grocery list, baking list, gift list, party list and the lists go on. You cannot imagine having yet another list. Yet, I am going to give you a list to remember this Christmas Season.
Things To Remember:
Stop.
We all have to just sit down and rest at some point and time.
Take a deep breath.
It is in those deep breaths we can relax and inhale the joy and love of God into our souls.
Look at all that is around you.
Give thanks to God for the daily gifts that surround you.
Remember to keep it simple in the gift giving.
The most cherished gifts are not the most expensive but the ones where thought and love were put into them.
After all, God’s gift to us happened in a simple place to simple couple but He came with a lot of love.
The Gift
Jesus Christ.
Related articles
- Gifts of Christmas – God with Us (essentialthingdevotions.com)
- How Advent Can Be Much More Than “The Christmas Season” (glennpackiam.typepad.com)
High Fences and Opened Gates
When the fence was forty feet high, a camel in the next enclosure asked the kangaroo, “How high do you think they’ll go?”
The kangaroo said, “About a thousand feet, unless somebody locks the gate at night!”
I can’t tell you how many times I am snug in the covers almost asleep when Jim will walk in the room and say; ‘where’s my…or have you seen…..’ It can come to be a number of things that become missing in action around here. Most of the time it is the wallet, car keys, bible or some sort of item that was NOT put back in the right place. This not only happens when I am snug in the bed ready to catch my z’s but it also happens in the early morning hours which to me is the middle of night. ( I am NOT a morning person!-There, I said it!)
Related articles
- Waiting For Jesus (aviesplace.wordpress.com)
- The Prayers of Paul (sparksofreformation.wordpress.com)
Can’t Wait!
My fifth grade class…Bowdon, Georgia
I am the first girl on the left front row.
“Can’t wait!” “I’m getting excited!” “So excited that I will be seeing everyone!” are just a few of the postings on my Facebook that I have been seeing for several months. This coming weekend I will be attending a thirty year class reunion with a class I did not graduate with but have been invited to attend the reunion. In all reality, I have not seen most of these classmates in thirty-four years!
Okay. Now, I have you confused. You are thinking; “she’s going to a class reunion but she did not graduate with the class.” “Did she quit school?” In answer to these thoughts, is that I did go to school with this group of people from fifth grade to eighth grade. My dad was a minister and was re-appointed to a new congregation after I completed my eighth grade year.
Thanks to Facebook, I have been reunited with these classmates. Classmates that I have often wondered where life has taken them. I have literally not seen some of these classmates since the last day of school in eighth grade. Oh, my family and I did try to go back and visit. But, as we know, life gets busy, people move on and the visits became less and less frequent over time.
Yet, back in the Spring, I receive a message from one of these dear friends telling me about this reunion coming up. They wanted me to come be a part of the reunion even though I did not complete high school with them. I was told that they always considered me as part of their Class of 1982 family. When I received this message and comment, my heart was warmed.
As I reflect on this upcoming weekend and the comments/status updates that are being posted, I am reminded of another reunion. A reunion that we all are invited to attend. A gathering of friends where we should not want anyone left out. A party where ALL are included.
This reunion is heaven. It’s a banquet where we are ALL invited. Yet, as with all invitations, there is an RSVP. This RSVP is accepting Christ into our hearts. When we accept Christ into our lives, we are also making the commitment to be his servant/ambassador.
As we accept our invitation to have Christ live in us and us live for Christ, we need to make sure that others are invited. We must ask ourselves the question; “Is there someone I have always considered family that I want to see at this reunion?” Also, in our daily living, we need to show how exciting it will be to be a part of the Kingdom. Remember, as Christians, we are representatives of the Kingdom.
In our daily living in the days ahead, may we walk with the expressions of “Can’t wait!” “I’m so excited!” ” Looking forward to seeing everyone!” flowing out of hearts so others will see the joy of Christ’s Kingdom. We should be so on fire for the Lord that people will want to stop and ask if they can get an invitation.
Carry these verses in your heart as you journey in your faith walk.
” We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make your joy complete.” 1 John 1: 3-4
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” 2 Corinthians 5:20
Blessings-
Related articles
- Showers of Blessings (aprilhawk.wordpress.com)
- Signal Communities…Invite People to Christ (heraldmagazine.wordpress.com)
Adoption
Smokey
Taken right after we picked him up from his Foster Home.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-” Ephesians 1: 1-5
It will be a year this weekend, when Jim and I got up early on a Saturday morning to pick up our new family member, Smokey. Jim and I found Smokey by going to our local Humane Society website that led us to the link of Pet Finders. Then, as we looked through the many faces of looking for homes, Smokey’s cute face caught our hearts. We immediately began to call the rescue home and started the paper work.
Smokey enjoying a ride in the convertible in the Smoky Mountains.
Roaring Fork- Gatlinburg, TN
Smokey has brought laughter to our home. He has brought laughter and smiles to strangers as we have taken Smokey on trips where we would dressed in one of his t-shirts and wearing his doggles. Smokey wants to do nothing more than to love and please Jim and me. He depends on us to take care of his needs.
Smokey out front of Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Co.
Gatlinburg, TN
When I think of adoption, I think of God and his kingdom. God didn’t go on-line looking for someone to adopt. He didn’t consult an agency seeking to give someone a home. He KNEW the minute he created the world that we would be his sons and daughters.
The wonderful thing about being adopted into God’s kingdom is that we don’t have to do anything to be accepted into his home. All we have to do is be ourselves and accept one simple thing….God’s grace. We have already caught God’s heart which means is that we just have to accept him into our hearts by allowing his Son, Jesus into our hearts.
Once we have accepted God’s wonderful grace and His Son, we should want to do nothing but love and please God every minute of our lives. Not only should we want to please and love God every second of every day, but we should be willing to dress ourselves in Christ so that others will see God’s love and grace through our actions.
Do you know someone who is looking for someone to love them, to accept them no matter where they have been, who they are, or what they have done? Reach out your hand to them and let them know that they have a home and that they are a son/daughter of a wonderful King. Let them know that there are no forms to fill out, no references needed nor no signatures needed. All that is needed to be adopted into this wonderful family of God is to accept his grace, His Son, Christ into their hearts.
Blessings
Related articles
- To the Praise of the Glory of His Grace (5ptsalt.com)
- Five Verses on Adoption (challies.com)
- Irresistible Adoption (jonahmb.wordpress.com)
- Not Good Enough! (ptl2010.com)
Battle Cries
We have all watched movies with battle scenes. In these scenes, you hear the cries of the warriors. Yet, in the end victory is claimed.
In today’s world, there are battle cries going out every day. These cries are cries of hunger, of trying to survive in today’s economy, job loss, addictions, and just plain ole’ hurts of the world. There are feelings of no hope and failure. I am sure that there are a few battle cries that I have not mentioned. No matter what battle cry is being screamed out, the pain is so deep. People in the midst of these cries are wondering if and when there will be a victory to claim. Some may even doubt God or even doubt that there is even a God. Faith is being tested.
Maybe you are in the midst of a struggle. Your heart is aching and you just don’t know which end is up. Your faith is in the midst of one of the biggest tests ever. If you are that person, at this very moment, fall into the Father’s arms and allow Him to carry you through the battle. Isaiah 4:6 tells us how we can run to the shelter of God’s arms in the midst of a storm. “And there will be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat. for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from storm and rain.”
For me personally, I have experienced battle cries in my lifetime. There have been times when I wondered where God was and even questioned my faith. The questions I would ask were “Where are you God.” “God, why are you fixing this NOW?!” After throwing these questions to God and expressing my anger and impatience, I have fallen on my knees and said; “hear my cry, God.” “Hold me and walk me through this battle.” In other words, I totally surrendered to Him. It was when I surrendered to allow God to do His work and lift me up that my situation/burden got a little lighter and easier to handle. In the end, things didn’t always work out like I HAD planned but they worked out the way God had planned. Yet, in the end, I was able to claim my victory in Jesus Christ.
The video at the end of this post says a lot about the battle cries of life. It talks about a person feeling as though they have no hope, no where to go, and they feel as though they have fallen. The path that they are currently on is not the one they had planned to be journeying on. Yet, they cry out to God to lift them up. They put their lives into the hands of God. It is their faith in God that they see their future. A new life is before them because they are allowing God to be at work in their life. They are allowing God to lead them instead of them trying to lead God.
Battle cries are a part of living in this big world of ours. But, these battle cries are stepping-stones to being molded into the likeness of our Creator. These battle cries can cause us to give up hope or increase our hope and faith in God. The choice is ours. We can allow God to lift us up and take the lead. Or, we can just throw our hands up in the air, give up, become angry and carry bitterness in our hearts. If we choose the latter, we are denying ourselves a time to grow in our faith and the blessings God has planned for us in the storm and after the storm. So what is it going to be? Bitterness? Or Blessings?
I WILL lift up my eyes to the hills-
From whence come my help?
My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord IS your keeper;
The LORD IS your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve you from ALL evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and coming in.
From this time forth, and even forevermore.
Psalm 121
Related articles
- Ending Your Perfect Storm (scentofwaterministries.typepad.com)
- In the Battlefield…things aren’t always as they seem ~ (rodandrose.com)
- Faith is a powerful thing. (cpkidd09.wordpress.com)
Identity Theft
In my previous post The Right Place, I share about how I have been going on what I call a moving drill and making sure things around the home front are in the right place. As the post progresses, I share about how we need to have our hearts in the right place with God and to trust that He puts us in the right places each and every day.
Friday, as I was marking boxes to be carried out of here, I found it ironic that I received a preview to the magazine, Simplify Your Life (A Simpler and Happier Life). Of course, I am all about simplifying life anyway I can and I immediately began scanning the articles featured. These articles were tips of how to de-clutter your home, the best methods for de-cluttering, how to clean, reset priorities and setting a routine to avoid future clutter of our home. There were a couple of things in this publication I received that really struck a chord with me. “Clutter saps energy and reduces your ability to concentrate.” “Clutter costs money.” They explain how people will collect things from matchbooks, coffee cups (guilty!), stuffed animals, stamps and the list goes on. Yet, what really made me sit down and think was the statement; “Behind it all is an ancient need in everyone to identify ourselves with something.” For the first time, I realized that all the “stuff” we clutter our homes and lives with is really stealing our identity in who we are created to be in this world.
Not only did I receive this publication in the mail about de-cluttering the home, in Sunday worship the minister’s topic was “But Wait..” He shared how marketers use methods to convince us that we need certain items in order to have a happy life. As he shared this comment, I snickered to myself because my son is in the marketing/advertising business. The minister went on to share from his personal experience of how he had crammed “stuff” into his life. In other words, he rushed here so he could rush there. Our world defines success by how much we can do in a day, how full we can fill our calendars and how many hours we can stay awake to work from sun up to sun down. Yet, he learned the hard way that all this rushing from here to there, working unlimited hours only landed him in bed with an illness that took him a while to recover from.
Then, this morning as I was getting ready for my day, my favorite author, Andy Andrews was being interviewed. Again, the business of life was the subject of the day. Andy commented on how people who are suddenly diagnosed with cancer suddenly realize what is truly important in life. In other words, what the world of stuff says is important is no longer important What is important is hearing the birds sing, taking a walk with a family member or friend. In other words, it is the simplicities of life that become most important.
Think about what brings you true joy. Now, think about those “things” that are cluttering up your home. How much joy are they bringing you? Do they greet you with a smile when you come and go? Do they thank you for dusting them? Do they love you back?
Let’s take those questions a step further. Think about your daily schedule. Do you find yourself constantly on the phone? How many of those phone calls can actually wait? After all, ten plus years ago either you were at home or you weren’t. Or, your phone line was busy. You and the person trying to contact you survived didn’t you? How much time are you spending on Facebook, Twitter, and just surfing the internet when you could be reading a book, visiting with a family member or having family night around the table with a game?( Yes, I am writing to myself as I lists these questions.)
Okay, let’s go one step further. How much to do you rush here and rush there. You arrive at places out of breath and you can’t enjoy the moment you’re in because in the back of your mind you are thinking about the next obligation that is already on the horizon? When you sit down and think about all of these questions, you soon realize how much this “stuff” material and non-material are stealing your identity. I know it was an eye opener for myself as I put myself through this evaluation process. It is time we stop allowing “things/stuff” stealing our identity and take our identity back. Our identity is in our relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. We are daughters and sons of the King of all kings! In our identity in Christ, we are encouraged to invest our time into people and into God’s kingdom. Remember the words of Christ in
Matthew 6:19-21? ”Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your heart is , their heart will be also.” Wow! Jesus didn’t beat around the bush in speaking to us about where our hearts and treasures should be.
Many times when we talk about collections/treasures we think we are investing in things that will give our children and grandchildren a heritage. But, in this same publication they said ”Generally, the beloved children declare that around 95% of the cherished items are not even things they would want. If this hasn’t happened to you, just ask a friend or neighbor!”
In all honesty, in looking back, the best treasures that have been given to me are being taught the importance of what it means to be a Child of God and to be in relationship with him. Then there are those treasures where people invested their time and themselves to encourage me, prayed with me, mentored me, and simply took time to be a friend to me. Other treasures are the times I have spent walking or riding through the mountains enjoying the artistry of my Master, just sitting in the quiet of my home and hearing the birds singing and children at play.
I challenge you to go through your home and look at your “stuff” and evaluate what it is doing for you. Evaluate your calendar, phone log, and how many text messages you send out in a day. How important are some of them? Could they have waited? Then, as you evaluate, ask God to help you see what is really important and get rid of the things that are not important. In this process, focus on God’s word even more. Trust me, as you do these things, you will be amazed at how much your perspective on life and priorities will change.
So, how about it? Isn’t it time you quit allowing “things/clutter steal your identity of who you really are? After all, you are a Child of God, Son/Daughter of the King! Go ahead, re-claim your identity in the Almighty! And, know that it’s the best treasure you could ever leave your loved one.
Blessings-
- Jesus is Everything. (six11.wordpress.com)
- De-Clutter (thechristianpundit.org)
- The “Go-To” Guy (aprilhawk.wordpress.com)
- 3 Tips to Clear Clutter & Transform Your Life (mindbodygreen.com)
The “Go-To” Guy
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16
A couple of years ago I got hooked on the reality television show Clean House. This show focused on going into people’s homes with an insurmountable amount of clutter. The Clean House crew would go in, evaluate the situation, help the homeowners down size their possessions, and have a yard sale to raise money for improvements on the home. Once the yard sale was done, the homeowners were sent away for a couple of days to evaluate and prioritize their lives while the clean house crew began their overhaul/makeover. In the Clean House crew there was Matt who was the “go-to” guy. His job was to do build outs in closets and come up with solutions to make the home better.
Each one of us knows someone who is a “go-to” guy or gal. These are the people in our offices, homes, families and other organizations that we know we can go to in order to get something accomplished or a problem solved. It seems that these people know where to find the answers, the equipment or have sound advice. We usually hold this person in high regard with great respect. In some cases, we may be the go-to person.
Life is full of” stuff” today. For some of us our “stuff”is a never-ending schedules of commitments and responsibilities. Other stuff may involve job loss, financial difficulties, loss of family member, serious illness personally or within our circle of family and friends. No matter what the “stuff” may be in our lives, we have a “go-to” guy. This “go-to” guy is known as Jesus Christ. He is there 24/7 to listen to our needs.
Yes, Jesus is there to listen to our needs, our cries for help and to give us strength when life dishes out its stuff. However, we must realize that when we take our “stuff” to Christ that He may not answer the way we want answers nor in the time we think He should respond. Jesus will answer and He will give us the solution we need. The important thing we must do in going to our “go-to” guy, Jesus is to simply give Him our “stuff” and then trust Him and His guidance. After all, Jesus IS or SHOULD be the most respected and well-regarded person to trust in helping us in any situation that comes our way.
Are you feeling overwhelmed? Are you grieving a loss of some kind? Do you feel like you have too much “stuff” going on right now? I highly recommend that you seek out the ultimate “go-to” guy, Jesus. Lay your “stuff” at His feet and then trust Him to supply you with what you need.
What A Friend
What a Friend we have in Jesus, All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry EVERYTHING to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry Everything to God in prayer!
Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged, Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus KNOWS our every weakness, Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Are we weak and heavy laden, Cumbered with a load of care?
Precious Savior still our refuge, Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? Take it to the Lord in prayer;
In His arms He’ll take and shield thee, Thou wilt find a solace there.
Joseph Scriven Charles C. Converse
Until next time, may you experience His peace that passes ALL understanding.
Related articles
- No. W.O.R.D.S. (futureflyingsaucers.wordpress.com)
- Faith Child – Let’s rest in the Lord (ptl2010.com)
- Pray Without Ceasing (thechestnutburr.com)
He IS One of Us
"The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork." Psalm 19:1
One of my passions is music. I love to listen to all genres of music. When I listen to music, I listen closely to the lyrics. The lyrics can tell you about the artist who is performing the piece, and there’s a message in the midst of the song.
How close do you listen to the lyrics of a song?
There is one song that has been over the airways for quite a while that I continue to struggle with the lyrics. The song is One of Us sung by Joan Osbourne. Some of the lyrics are:
If God had a name what would you call him?
If he had a face what would it look like?
What if God was one of us?
If you could ask him one question what would it be?
When I hear these lyrics, I cringe. I cringe because these lyrics tell me that there are many people out there who are lost. They question God’s true existence. It is evident that they don’t recognize that God is in every fiber of existing in this world.
Do you always agree with the lyrics you hear?
For me, I have answers to these questions. You may or may not agree with my thinking.
If God had a name what would you call him? God does not have only one name but he has many names. He is known as Yahweh, El Shaddi, Father and Adonai to name a few. As I began doing some research prior to writing this post, I came across the site, smilegodlovesyou.org . On this site, there is a long list of names for God along with reference to the scriptures of where you will find that particular name. I encourage you to travel over to this site and check out the many beautiful names for God. For me personally, God’s sweet name is Yahweh, Heavenly Father, and Adonai.
Eye of God Nebula
If God had a face what would it look like? Did you get up this morning and look into the mirror, sat at the table with your loved ones for a meal, or encountered many people throughout your day? Guess what, that image in the mirror, the loved ones at your table and those many people you encountered throughout the day, are what God looks like. ”So God created man in His own image; in the image of God he created him; male and female He created them.”( Genesis 1: 27) No one has ever seen the actual face of God but every day we see his image in every person we look at including ourselves.
What if God was one of us? Guess what? He IS one of us! God sent his Son (John 3:16), Jesus to walk among the human race. Jesus was God’s gift to the world to let the world know that they are loved. He came to show the world a better way of living. God lives today. He lives in the hearts of those who have accepted his Son, Jesus Christ, as their Lord and Savior (ah-hh another name for God). God is the creator and ruler over all the earth. For me, that is evidence enough that he is one of us.
If you had one question what would you ask him? We all laugh and say we are going to add certain questions to our list to ask God upon our arrival in heaven. However, when we arrive in heaven, we will have all the answers we need and the list will be wadded up and thrown away. I have a feeling that the very moment we cross that veil from earthly life to eternity, all questions and doubts will be taken away. Yes, we like to question God and we do question God during life’s events but the end result to our questions is that we must trust God. We must place our hand in his and allow him to take the lead in our lives without question. All that is important for us to know is that God is the Almighty. “I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, says the Lord, who IS and was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Revelation 1:8)
Mark Lowry shares in one of his comedy routines of how his mom calls in at a radio talk show where Madolyn Murray Ohare (“the woman who had God kicked out of school”) was being interviewed and she took Ms. O’Hare “from Genesis all the way through to the maps” in her witness. Today, I have taken you from Genesis to Revelation in my thoughts on this particular song. But, I leave you with my personal lyrics of testimony.
Yes, God has a name. He is my Adonai, my heavenly Father and the list goes on.
Yes, I know what God looks like. I see the beauty of his image in my family, friends and those I encounter each and every day.
Yes, I know God is one of us. He is the homeless person I have served at the homeless shelter. He is the child who needs a little help with his confidence. God is my neighbor next door. He lives in my heart and the hearts of fellow Christians. It is his Son, Jesus, who is one of us and always among us.-
Yes, life happens. When life happens I want to question God and sometimes I doubt. But, it is not the answers to the questions that matter, it is the willingness to trust and walk one step at a time with my God, Father and Adonai. All I need to know is that he IS the Beginning and the End, the Alpha and the Omega.
YES! God IS one of us! He is our Creator!
Blessings
Related articles
- What’s in a name? Adonai (greerhome.wordpress.com)
- Assurances of the Believer (trinityspeaks.wordpress.com)
“Tell Me Something Good”….well, I’m Telling Ya!
Please know, that as I sit down to write this new post, I am not beginning a new career of being a movie critic but I am in the business of encouragement and sharing something good when I hear it or see it. There are days when you see something or hear something that you absolutely MUST share. Tonight is one of those nights. Jim and I just got in from date night which consisted of going to the movies and seeing “Joyful Noise.” This was a movie that spoke to the heart from the beginning.
As I sat and watched the movie, and as each scene was played, I thought to myself; “this can’t get any better.” Then, in the next scene it got a little better and tugged on the heart-strings just a little more. By the end of the movie, I was resisting the urge to stand up where I was sitting and lift my hands up in praise and sing with the choir. (By the way, we were sitting on the back row so I could have done that and gotten away with it!)
You want me to “tell you something good?” Well, I’m telling ya! God loves you more than you can ever imagine. He accepts you no matter where you’ve been, no matter where you are, and no matter what you look like. Trust me, when you accept that God loves you and asks his Son, Jesus Christ into your heart, you will hear inside your heart,not, “it can’t get any better than this.” But you will hear God speak to the inner most of your heart and soul. He will be saying; “it gets even better!” Then, as it gets better, you will be wanting to shout from the mountain tops and standing up on the back row of the movie theater lifting your voice, heart and soul in praise to God Almighty!
Oh, by the way, I encourage you to go see the movie, “Joyful Noise.” It is our supporting good quality movies like this is what will keep them being made. Let’s encourage the things in media that lift the heart, make the heart sing in the end and most of all shows that we do have a loving God who is encouraging us with every breath we take. Along with encouraging you to go see this movie, I encourage and challenge you to go out in the days ahead and “tell someone something good!” Be God’s instrument in showing others the joy and “make a joyful noise!”
Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving grateful praise.
1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Blessings
Related articles
- Let’s Be Real… He Still Loves Us! (aprilhawk.wordpress.com)
- Can I Get a Witness – A Devotion (lthomason.wordpress.com)
Have You Ever Seen A Watermelon Tree?
Have you ever seen a watermelon tree? Believe it or not, I have! Our family had one in our back yard. Now, you are thinking I am totally crazy and wonder what I had to eat before bedtime to dream up such a tale. Truth be known, Dad planted a watermelon tree but not knowing that was what he was planting.
Now, the rest of the story…..It was at one of my dad’s earlier appointments where Dad was full-time at a church, going to seminary and raising a family. One Spring, our neighbor said he would let Dad use a plot of land between our house and his if Dad would like to grow a garden. Dad thought “wouldn’t it be great to have a garden with fresh food all summer, a little to put away for winter and just maybe I can teach my children the joy of planting and watching something grow.”
Dad planted the garden. Then, life got busy for him. Term papers for seminary were due, he had internships, observations that were required by some of his classes, sermons to get ready for on Sunday, visitation within the church and community and funerals when they came up. Along with these responsibilities were the every day responsibilities of taking care of and raising a family. Needless to say, the garden soon became unattended. Soon, my brother and I began enjoying watching the garden grow and grow out of control!
We had green beans growing along with dandelions. The tomato vines were out in the middle of the back yard. Vegetables were growing everywhere and beyond the garden. Then, one day, Dad goes out to the big oak tree where my brother and I would play and, behold, there were watermelons in the tree!
Dad planted the seeds, God watered them and they grew. They grew beyond any imagination that summer. My dad now retired from 47 years of ministry was also another kind of seed sower. Over the years, I watched my dad sow seeds in the lives of others. Even now, he works part-time as a chaplain at the local hospital in his community where he is sowing seeds. These seeds that he sows are the love of Jesus Christ.
Over my lifetime, I have watched him sow seeds of encouragement, hope, forgiveness and love. Sometimes, he would see the seeds bloom instantly and other times he would not learn of the results until years down the road. Yet, it didn’t matter because he had done what he was called to do and that was to sow these seeds.
As Christians, we are called to sow these seeds of love, encouragement, hope and love in the lives of others. When we sow these seeds, we have to put them in the hands of the true gardener, God. Many times, when we sow these seeds we don’t see the end result right away. Instead, it takes us sowing a seed, then others coming along in a person’s life to water the seed. Eventually, that seed that we planted grows into something beautiful.
Today, I encourage each of us to begin planting seeds of hope, encouragement, love and forgiveness in other’s lives. First we can sow seeds unintentionally with a simple smile or hug. Our daily actions on how we handle what life deals us even sows seeds in the hearts of others. Believe it or not, people watch us to see if we are going to react or simply respond.
Then, there are those we intentionally sow a seed in but we don’t see the results. It is hard for us to grasp that good will come when we are not seeing the end result. Remember, when you sow those types of seeds, that you place them in the hands of our gardener. He will send other people into their paths to water and to help weed out the things that don’t need to be there. Then, one day, when you least expect it, you will see this beautiful new bloom in Christ Jesus. Just like my dad walking out to that oak tree and seeing with amazement watermelons growing out of the tree. Trust me, it is a site to behold and a site you will never forget.
Carry this scripture with you today and in the days ahead; “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. ”
1 Corinthians 3:6
Blessings
*By the way, our family never planted another garden after that summer. Also, I couldn’t believe it when I found a watermelon in a tree on the internet when composing this blog post.
Related articles
- Planting Seeds for the Harvest (ptl2010.com)
- “You’re Exactly Where You’re Suppose To Be” (aprilhawk.wordpress.com)
- Watermelon Lemonade (notecook.com)
