“The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground,”
-Mark 4: 26

This verse has oddly been with my all day without my knowing it was part of the preaching text for this coming Sunday.  I’ve been thinking about the seeds that we scatter and how some of them take and some of them we’re not quite sure.  Just this past weekend I was pulling weeds and planting some new shrubs and flowers.  I had a little spot that a few plants share, one of the plants is lavender.  It’s come up for the last few years and I always love the smell (sometimes I even use it in shortbread), but this year it just looked dead.  So I thought I was being patient, I’ve given it time and kept looking to see if anything was sprouting.  For weeks it has just looked like it was a lost cause.  So as I went about pulling up all the weeds and a few other forlorn shrubs, I headed for the lavender plant.  I started to gently tug on it, brushed some dirt off, felt some resistance and looked a little closer. I saw a few green sprouts at the bottom, almost hiding under the dead, dried up stalks.  I pulled one out, rubbed it between my fingers and it smelled like beautiful lavender.  I gently patted it back down, gave it a little water and plant food, and I’m hoping I didn’t damage it when I had almost given up on it.

The seeds have been scattered and God cares for and loves his creation.  No matter how scraggly the seeds or the branches look, no matter how parched or dead they seem, God is in, with and under them.  It’s up to us to not disrupt them, but to care for His creation, to be patient as the seeds come to life, and to feed and water the seeds in ways that are life-giving.  Do no harm, for God is always with us. 

-Pastor Carrie

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