For Christmas my son and daughter-in-law gave me an Advent Seed Calendar. I loved it! It was such great fun to open a little flap each day and discover a new exciting packet of seeds.
I have been anxiously awaiting when I can finally plant my seeds. Four days ago, I decided to go ahead and plant some of the lettuce seeds. I have never had success growing lettuce outside, but maybe it will grow nicely indoors. It’s worth a try.
Check it out! In just four days little green sprouts have already appeared! I’m beyond thrilled!
I had no idea Arugula would sprout that fast. There is something about seeing life sprout from tiny seeds that brings such hope!
As I look at my planter tray and all the little green sprouts, I can’t help but think of a harvest of righteousness.
“Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.” – James 3:18
We can literally sow “seeds of peace.” That’s really cool. And in sowing “seeds of peace” we can in turn reap a harvest of righteousness. That’s really cool!
That also means the kindness we show towards others is like “seeds.” The patience we show towards other is like “seeds.”
The love we show towards others is like “seeds.”
The forgiveness we show towards other is like “seeds.”
It seems like the “seeds of forgiveness” take forever to sprout. We forgive … and forgive … and forgive. And nothing happens. There is no change in the “soil” of life. It’s like my planter tray … and as you can see, the basil seeds are not sprouting at all. Nothing. It looks like I haven’t even sown anything in the basil spot. This right here is what it feels like sowing “seeds of forgiveness.”
We might never personally live to see the “harvest of righteousness” from those “seeds of forgiveness.” But when we get to Heaven … God will show us the harvest!
Some “seeds” sprout right away … like the Arugula seeds in the planter tray. We sow “seeds of kindness” … and voila, almost immediately we see results. But this is not usually the case when it comes to the “seeds” we sow in the “soil” of life.
We sow “seeds of peace” … and we see nothing.
We sow “seeds of patience … and we see nothing.
We sow “seeds of generosity” … and we see nothing.
We sow “seeds of love” … and we see nothing.
We sow “seeds of faithfulness” … and we see nothing.
It takes time for seeds to sprout.
Don’t give up hope! The “harvest of righteousness” will come.
Another thing I noticed as I looked at my planter tray … some Arugula seeds accidentally landed over in the section for the butterhead lettuce. I didn’t know it at the time. I couldn’t see it at the time. (the seeds were so tiny)
This is what happens as we “scatter seeds” throughout our life. We can’t really see where our “seeds of kindness” are landing. We can’t really see where our “seeds of peace” are landing.
Until one day … there are little green sprouts!
I didn’t even know my “seeds of kindness” had landed way over there. I didn’t even know that random kind thing which I did had such a profound impact on that person. I had no idea that simple kind word I spoke turned out to be so life changing for that person.
We don’t know. We have no idea where our “seeds of love” are landing. We have no idea the impact our “seeds of faithfulness” are going to make on the “landscape of life.”
Sow “seeds!”
Sow “seeds of love!”
Sow “seeds of joy!”
Sow “seeds of kindness!”
Sow “seeds of peace!”
Sow “seeds of forgiveness!”
Sow “seeds of generosity!”
These “seeds” will become a bountiful “harvest of righteousness!”
