Seeds for the Sower

Posted by Tara | 0 comments

Little Man and I had a fantastic time with some dear friends New Year’s Eve!  We exchanged “white elephant” gifts and had some good laughs at the strange and unexpected items extracted from beautifully wrapped packages.  I received a box of wildflower seeds!  That might not seem too odd unless you know me well.  Anything green that goes into my house or in my flowerbeds does not escape with it’s life.  To say that I am challenged in the area of growing plants and flowers is a gross understatement.  I simply forget.  It’s only by God’s grace that my son has lasted this long!  Just kidding – he’s not even green so I think he’s safe!

When we were preparing to leave the party, I tried to give the box of seeds back to the giver by saying “You know if you send me home with these, you are sentencing these poor seeds to an imminent and certain death!”  She refused to take them back as the deal with our “white elephant” exchange was you had to leave with the gift you got ( we need to rethink those rules or find a really good hiding place at her house to stash them next year)!

On the way home that night, it struck me that I am daily given seeds from the hand of God the Father to scatter in the life of my son.  These seeds come in the form of lessons God teaches me in the course of every day life, glimmers of truth gleaned from His Word, divine appointments with people God places in my path, and subtle changes He makes in me as I spend time with Him in prayer.  Anything and everything God does in my heart, soul, mind and body are seeds that I can then plant in my son.

“Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness;” – 2 Corinthians 9:10 (NASB)

So this begs the question:  What am I going to do with the seeds?

• Am I going to leave them “in the box”, unused and dormant, until I eventually throw them out (like I am almost positive will happen to my “white elephant” gift)?
• Will I toss them haphazardly in the garden of my son’s heart and just hope that they somehow take root, grow and produce a harvest?
• Or will I spend time in prayer for my son’s heart and mind, asking God to work and prepare the soil to receive the seeds?  Will I then be intentional about looking for the right time and place to plant, water and nurture those seeds, trusting God to bring the harvest?  Will I ask for God’s wisdom as to how to be the “sower of the seed” in Little Man’s life?

Here’s the nitty-gritty of it: the choice is mine.

• I can allow the important things to be sacrificed on the altar of the urgent and not get around to planting the seeds of God’s truth and ways in my son.

• I can allow the busyness of life and my selfishness in doing things I want to do give me a handy excuse to half-heartedly sow the seeds in my son.

• Or I can recognize that these few years I have with my son as his main influence, teacher and guide will quickly be over and that recognition kindle a fire of determination in me to do what I can, by God’s grace, to make the most of every opportunity.

• Will I be perfect at it?  No.

• Will it matter in the end?  Absolutely – both in my son and in my accountability to God.

Can I do it?  Only by the grace of God.

And so can you.

Tara McClenahan is a devoted mom to a two-year-old “little man” and enjoys discovering how God has “packed his suitcase”. As an associate with iBloom, she has a heart for inspiring, encouraging and equipping moms to become “Proverbs 31 mamas” and raise their children according to Biblical principles and guidelines using the Bible and other tools. Tara adores falling leaves, sweatshirts, Starbucks White Chocolate Mochas and the first curly BBQ chip from the bag! Make sure to visit www.MommyMissions.com to download your free Christian mom resource!