SEEDS!

“I will join you in screaming this from the rooftops”

“I am so inspired by your bravery to do and say what you know to be true”

“you are helping so many people see God’s real love”

“you have helped me to maintain an open heart and an open mind”

“thank you for staying strong in your beliefs”

“sending you love and big hugs of appreciation”

“thank you for your willingness to be bold”

“I’m so proud of the type of Christian you are”

“please never give up on what God has in store for you”

These are just a few of the amazing bits of feedback that I have received since starting my blog! I am so very overwhelmed by them! I started writing because I needed it…..I had absolutely NO idea that anybody else would. I have terrible anxiety and using my voice was not something I ever thought I would be able to do. I’ll be honest, I still struggle with talking on the phone…..what is it with that phone??? Anyway, since starting my blog, I have been given amazing opportunities to have some incredible conversations with people. Pastors, church leaders, old friends, new friends…..some were wonderful productive conversations….some left me feeling like I wanted to commit a crime!! 🙂 But that’s the point, right? Just as the parable of the sower in the Bible talks about seeds falling on various kinds of soil….conversations are not always going to go as well as you had hoped, BUT they are always an opportunity to plant a seed. In the Bible, this seed represents the word of God…..I am absolutely not taking ANYTHING from the importance of spreading God’s word, on the contrary, I am SCREAMING please spread God’s word and God’s love to EVERYONE!! Tell EVERYONE that they are loved beyond measure! Tell EVERYONE that God’s love is real and genuine and true! Tell EVERYONE that being fat, skinny, tall, short, black, white OR gay makes no difference AT ALL to God! And, maybe, while we are at it, let’s also say to EVERYONE that we are heartbroken if the message of God’s love was every presented or used in a way that left you questioning your own worth!!

You! Are! Loved! Just! As! You! Are!

I recently read an article that discussed the rich, historic symbolism of the seed. The seed represents potential, trust, hope, nourishment, earthiness, reproduction, cycles, time and provision! WOW, that’s a lot of work for a little seed, but we KNOW it works. When we plant a seed in our garden, however, we don’t do ALL of the work. We plant and water and weed, but that seed does a tremendous amount of work all on its own! If we plant a handful of random seeds, we will never be able to predict which ones will wither, which ones will grow beautiful daisies that will bring joy and enlightenment for a season, or if that seed might just turn into a giant oak tree that grows and thrives and shares it’s shade and it’s beauty for many generations to come! Google tells me that a seed can travel up to 18 miles in a storm!! My point is, keep planting your seeds, even when it feels as if the soil is sand and the tide is rising! Even when if feels like it is impossible! Even when if feels like it is making no difference! Even when if feels like you are being attacked at every turn! Even when it feels like no one is listening! Even if only one little, delicate daisy grows from your seed….that daisy could make all the difference in the world to one person who will then go on to plant a thousand oak trees! I know my impact is small, but it’s important! A thousand small impacts…..creates quite a wave! So, write, speak, support, love, rescue, serve…..be what your seed was meant to be! People are listening! People are hurting! People are craving a voice and a heart that only you can provide. There is a need out there that only YOU can meet! I encourage you, do one small thing this week outside of your comfort zone…..you will NOT regret it!