It is sad, but they nestled in the depths of my purse for months. Seasons changed and I emptied the contents of my brightly colored purse into one more suited for fall. I was surprised to find the lost treasure amid the receipts and gum wrappers. It was well past planting season, time to snuggle in for winter, so I tucked them away again, in the kitchen drawer. We'd plant them in the spring.
My twice forgotten seeds emerged again last week. Searching for a battery I encountered their ziplock housing. Perfect timing, I was itching for a quick project. Something to occupy a rainy April afternoon. There were empty glass jars near the sink, I had the inkling I would need the for some random project....now they had a purpose. I gathered the chaos crew and we discussed the fundamentals of growth. Sun, water, soil, and air. We hypothesized how long it would take to see a sprout, how tall the grass would grow, and what would happen if we forgot to give it water.
The kids eagerly filled their jars with soil, grabbed handfuls of seeds and carefully pushed them into their new home. They each took a turn adding water and marking their jars so they could brag about who had the fastest growing grass. (in case you didn't know, EVERYTHING is a competition! EVERYTHING). We placed the jars in the sunlight and went off to finish schoolwork. The jars were quickly forgotten, but it had been a nice break in a dreary day.
The next afternoon I stood at the sink rinsing veggies for dinner. It was a sunny, bright day and I marvelled at how quickly the yard had turned from brown to green. The rain had been just enough to change the pallette. I then remembered the seeds. I peeked in the jars and was astounded to see tiny sprouts had already appeared. Just one day! The crew was amazed at this, just a single day and new life was there. Over the last week we have marveled at the rate at which the blades have grown, strong and green, bending a bit toward the light. Through the sides of the glass you can see the white roots, digging in deep, stretching wide to hold the blades in tight.
I can't ignore the similarities. They were just little red seeds in need of some goodness. With a little care, they sprouted into life, quickly they grew, with water and light their roots dug in deep, their arms stretched up high, reaching for the sun. Aren't we the same. Just little seeds in need of goodness. With a little care and affection we grow, with a little love and guidance we blossom, we turn toward the light. With encourament and nourishment our roots spread down deep, holding us firm. It was only grass, a tiny insignificant seed, twice forgotten and hidden away, yet with the right combination of care, in 24 hours it was growing. We are all created by an awesome God. How wonderous it is to witness growth. To nurture life. How magnificent to fathom how our God cares for us. How great is our responsibility to provide the nurturing so that our little ones might have strong roots, that they might reach for the light, that they might blossom.
We learned a lot from that grass. It was an analogy to God in our lives. Even a tiny seed can grow with proper care. The grass has no conscience, so therefore cannot know God, but He still cares for it and provides for its needs. Some people don't recognize God, yet He still loves them and provides for their needs. AND, when you take the time to care for any seed properly, its roots will sink deep and its branches will spread wide. It will eventually turn toward the light, the source of life.
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