Sowing Belief
Canon 5D Mark ll, 100 macro 2.8, 4.0 aperture, 1/125 shutter, 160 ISO
It was another hard day. Downcast, worried, and wound tight like a rubber band ball, I finally took my heaviness to the Father. I pulled myself away from tedious tasks indoors and met Him on my front porch as the sun was beginning her descent. The warm light and fresh air worked at the tightened hinges of my heart, just enough for me to breathe out words to Him. ” I can’t… we don’t… how will…?” All my sentences began to sound the same. With one daughter going to Oxford and the other to graduate school in less than a week, we were coming up short again. Again. I had been burying the worry, and somehow decided I would solve it alone. I don’ t remember saying that to myself or anyone else. I think it is a default decision I make when I feel stressed or afraid. No matter. It doesn’t work. I cannot solve it. I thought about my year, the efforts I have been putting into this blog, wondering if I had misplaced my energies and if I should have been working more.
Then I heard it. A simple sentence bubbled up in my spirit. It sounded like the voice of my Father. Quiet, and loving. Clear.
“Sow the seeds you have in your pocket,” the voice said. ” The seeds I have?” I asked. “What seeds? And what good are seeds when we need the harvest right now?”
I thought about my year again. The people I had met, the compassion God was building in me, the love I experienced through giving myself away. “Oh, those seeds,” I answered, finally. I thought I understood, but it seemed so intangible when what we really needed was something tangible, something we could put in the bank. But, isn’t that the way the Kingdom of God works? We believe in the Invisible God. We sow His Kingdom every time we show kindness to someone. We reap a harvest in both the seen and the unseen.
Pocket Seeds
Sowing Kingdom Seeds
Planting Love
It is a Kingdom with exponential qualities. God’s economy is so different than our own. We do a little bit, with our hearts open to God, and He does everything else. Like the father of the prodigal son, He does not meet us halfway. He comes to us. He runs to meet us, shortening the distance between us and Him with every beautiful stride. That is how God goes about things. Extravagant love. He is so good. Good beyond anything or anyone we have ever known. There is none like Him.
Pouring Out
Encourage One Another
And so, I will do as I am told. I will sow my pocket seeds. The ones He has given me. And I will trust in Him to bring the harvest.
Joy Springing Up
Matthew 23:44 ~ ““The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”
6 Comments
I just wanted to thank you for all you pour into your blog. As a mom of two young toddlers, you and your family give me hope that we too will one day reap the harvest of what we are sowing into our little boys, just as you have with your own grown children. So thank you for the seeds of encouragement you have sown in my life! I will be praying for your family during this season of change and especially for you that you will not grow weary in doing what He is calling you to do.
P.S. Your post today totally made me think of “Desert Song” by Hillsong…..so many good truths to soak up in that song…..
Wow!! That is beautiful! Thank you for sharing your heart. I am glad you have chosen to sow your seeds here. It is always an encouragement to me. God uses you in amazing ways–through your words, through your photography, through your heart—to teach me more about Him. Thank you. I will be praying for you and Chris as you face this challenges. God will be faithful as He always is because you and Chris are so obedient and faithful. God always blesses those kinds of hearts. And most of the time, God choses to bless above and beyond anything we could have imagined (or figured out) on our own.
Nicole
I can’t type anything that would express my sentiments better than the two ladies above. I say “Yes!” to what they’ve already said!
Had to come back to soak in this again….so grateful for your willingness to share your journey here because, as expressed above, it is a great encouragement.
Thank you for the reminder, Mary Anne. I needed that today. Truly, as you said, there is none like Him.
Mary Anne,
I recently discovered your blog [late January] and as I wandered around reading and marveling at the amazing photos, I ran into this post. It undid me as only the voice of God can. I wrote about it on my blog [http://www.leaf-by-leaf.com/2014/01/his-voice.html] that day; it is always stunning to me how God can speak directly to my heart, even when I’ve been evading Him. Your choice of words resonated so deeply with me — scattering seeds, myriad small choices towards life & freedom, and extravagant love are some of my life themes.
I have continued to come back here again and again, and I continue to hear the voice of my Father in your words and see His artistry in your photos. I wanted to let you know that. Perhaps, like me, you sometimes need that reminder — even though we may not always see the harvest that comes from our seeds, it is worth scattering them. Your post here took years to reach my heart, but I know that God had me in mind when He created this with you.
Thank you for offering your heart for others!
Annie