The Seed of Worship

Patty was a co-worker who introduced me to the “real” Jesus.  She planted within me a seed of desire to know God like she knew Him. I was fertile ground, and perhaps God used me to teach her how to farm. One weekend, she invited me to go to Arkansas to a women’s retreat weekend. She wanted to expose me to women who walked deeper in their faith. Again, she was planting seeds in the fertile soil of my heart. That weekend was pivotal. The leaders had erected a “tent of meeting” on the campsite. (Note: When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, God gave him instructions on how to build a “tabernacle” in the wilderness. In this “tent of meeting,” God began to teach the Israelites about holiness, honor, and respect for the Holy of Holies – the One True God.)

A Seed to Learn

As I stepped into this replica in Arkansas, I began to realize the holiness of God, the true depth of His spirit and how He wanted to connect with me. Patty planted a seed in me to understand the Old Testament. That planted seed took root, and I began to pour through the scriptures and realized the entire Bible is one story pointing to Jesus. I could not get enough. The seed began to produce seeds of its own as I began leading a group of women through the process of reading and discussing the Bible, from beginning to end.

Seeds of Hope

Then, in my broken years when I struggled to breathe, Patty invited me to the high peaks of the Adirondack mountains to teach a group of women about God’s love. We made it to the heights of a few mountain peaks together and we studied God’s word.  In my brokenness, Patty planted new seeds into my fertile heart; this time they were seeds of hope. Her belief in God’s power invited me into a place of intimacy and ministry where my vulnerability brought healing into the lives of others. Those seeds are producing more fruit. That’s Patty – always sowing Jesus seeds.

Blessings of Farming

Since Patty planted the first seed in my heart, God has led me into public speaking, writing, podcasting, publishing, and leading retreats. In each of these areas of life, God uses me as His seed bearer to plant seeds into the hearts of others. Some of those seeds take root. And the rooted plants, established in the foundation of God, produce their own seeds and spread them to others. We can all be farmers. We can all spread seeds.

Farming the Fertile Soil

We are all farmers. We all have someone who planted seeds of encouragement and faith into our hearts. Each of us have the opportunity to plant seeds into the hearts of others. Seeds are words of encouragement, prayers, songs, deeds, love, compassion, and grace. They are invitations to attend a Bible study or a church service or a home group. You never know which seeds will take root, so keep planting them. Be a farmer. You will eventually be able to recognize the fertile ground and see fruits from the seeds you have planted.

Now, go out and sow some seeds. And in due time, you will see the harvest.