SEED SOWING

Matthew 13- (The Message)
A Harvest Story
1At about that same time Jesus left the house and sat on the beach. 2In no time at all a crowd gathered along the shoreline, forcing him to get into a boat. 3Using the boat as a pulpit, he addressed his congregation, telling stories.

"What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. 4As HE SCATTERED THE SEED, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. 5Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, 6so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. 7Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. 8Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.

9"Are you listening to this? Really listening?"

I was reading this passage this morning and the phrase "he scattered the seed" was what stood out to me. As I reflected on this passage I thought about my expectations that I have being a youth pastor.

I really take the spiritual growth, the social/emotional growth and community building within my youth group seriously. You might even say that in some ways I unhealthily carry the concerns of my group on my shoulders. Maybe I tend to assume that my group are all fertile ground that I'm spreading seeds on- when in fact within our group there's rocky ground, thorny ground, sandy ground along with soil that is fertile for growth.

I listened to my heart this morning and it said- throw the seeds out and know that it's hitting different soils- but that soil can change with time and the seeds will remain- waiting for fertile soil.

So this morning I was at peace- thinking about my kids, missing my kids, loving my kids... and praying that the soil of their lives not be too rocky (mine sure is at times), not to thorny (mine sure has been at times), and even not so fertile that they lose sight of their friends whose lives are less than fertile and need good friends.

"The cloud stood humbly in a corner of the sky.
The morning crowned it with splendour."
- Tagore, an Indian Poet