SEEDS OF HOPE 

All new life begins with a seed, natural or spiritual everything begins with a seed.  So what is the seed's sole purpose, it is to REPRODUCE its own kind.  Every plant begins with a seed, you and I began in a seed.  Spiritually - We began with a seed; that seed is the "Word of God" that gets planted in our hearts and in our lives.

We have all learned of the principals of sowing and reaping.  As I share these facts about seeds with you, see if you see the parallel of how seeds and our lives fit together.  Can you see yourself in any of these descriptions?

Seeds come in different shapes and sizes (just like us, we are all different), with each type having different requirements for germination (or growth). Smaller seeds must be placed as delicately as possible on the soil so that they do not bury themselves too deep. They should also be planted together in groups, ensuring that some will grow into thriving plants. Larger seeds, on the other hand, are buried deeper and probably with fewer in a group. Some seeds prefer warm, dry environments, while others require environments that are cold and moist. Some seeds germinate when they are exposed to fire, while others germinate when they are kept in the dark. Then there are those hard shelled seeds that must be scarred or cracked before they can start there growth. There are seeds that will germinate in less than five days, while others will take up to five months-some seeds can sit dormant for several years before something triggers them to germinate. 

                                      God has placed seeds of hope in each of us

                         to bring hope to our soul, but also to share and to plant. 

And remember what is a seed's sole purpose- to reproduce its own kind... it is a copy of where it came from.  So God is reproducing himself in each of us. Then we express and convey God in this world through our own unique and colorful life. We reach out and touch, we impact someone's life, even if it is subtle, it demonstrates the very character of our Lord as we plant seeds of love and hope.  Lam 3;21-23  "Yet this I call to mind- and therefore I have hope Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed- for His compassion never fails, they are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness."

One of today's tools for germinating seeds and growing them into plants are what we commonly call a greenhouse.  Their purpose is to  provide an artificial environment that creates the optimal atmosphere and surroundings for plants to grow.  Now there is nothing wrong with greenhouses and in fact they enable us to have plenty of flowers on Valentines Day, Mothers Day, and special events.

What would happen if greenhouses accommodated most of the plants and were not living and growing where they were designed and destined to be.  They would be alive and well but the world wouldn't receive the full benefit of what they were intended to be, the backbone of life.

I often wonder about the church, and the seeds that God has planted in people from all walks of life and in all kinds of churches.  That seed...the Word of God planted in our life waiting to bear fruit is the very backbone of what the world needs.  But sometimes our churches have become spiritual greenhouses.  It is the optimal environment and surrounding to grow, but the Lord never intended for His people to live there but to be planted in the world around us. 

 

             The benefit for a world that needs God, is when the seed God placed

                    in each of us is living and thriving right where He planted us

    

The Lord has given each of us opportunities to be seeds of hope. We can all get caught up in our circumstances- dwelling on what's wrong with us- we loose hope and feel inadequate and not qualified to help anyone. In reality God has given us everything we need.  He never asks us to do something without giving us the provision to do it.  So  if we ask the Lord to help us, we become the seed and multiply- to become his hands and feet- his mouthpiece. We can look into our day even with our regular routine and be expectant and waiting for opportunity and the chance to put our faith into action-to bring life to someone who may be having a bad day or who has lost hope. THANKS FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP AND SUPPORT.  GOD BLESS, CHRIS & MARILYN