When I was a little girl I LOVED these poms. You could always tell when summer was on it’s way because these began to spring up everywhere. I always thought it was so neat to see fields of them, they looked just like cotton. My friends and I would pick them and make wishes. We would hold them make a wish and blow with all of our might. The requirement for the wish to come true was to free the pom of all it’s little cotton pieces. If a few remained you had to pick a new one and wish again.
I distinctly remember my dad coming out one day and going “Baby those are weeds, every time you blow them, those seeds go everywhere and it kills the grass.” “These are seeds?!” I exclaimed. “Yes.” He said, “and every time you blow one, all those tiny little seeds become more weeds wherever the wind takes them.” My little heart was puzzled. I knew weeds were bad. I knew they took the place of real grass, but they were so fun, and they held my wishes. Anything that held wishes couldn’t be bad. Could it?
As I was thinking of what to write, I thought of the pictures I took at the castle ruins in Viliandi, Estonia. There was a field of Dandelion Poms right in front of the amphitheater. I thought about wishes and seeds. I thought about Galatians 6:7-10 msg
“Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life. So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.”
The world race is not for the faint of heart. It’s not for those who want a stressful vacation to exotic places, nor is it a trip to be selfish. On the contrary, it’s about giving it ALL AWAY. It’s as much about sharing Jesus with people who have never met Him, as it is about BEING Jesus to those who sleep no more than 5 feet away from you. There is no room for selfishness on the world race.
As I started this journey just 6 short months ago, I was excited to share the love of Jesus with people all over the world, and you know what, that’s exactly what I’ve done. But I’ve only been able to be a better example of Jesus by allowing the people in community with me, to point out the parts of my life that don’t look so much like Jesus. Is it hard? YOU BET YOUR BUTT IT IS! No one likes to think they’re flawed, and we certainly don’t like it proven. No one like to know that the very breath they are breathing out has as much ability to spread weeds as it does love and life. Yet that scripture is as plain as day, “What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds.”
Fields of weeds can be pretty, but at the root it’s killing the life underneath. That’s exactly what happens to us! When we chose to speak harshly, react instead of respond, think of our own needs first a part we are spreading weeds. Weeds of discouragement, weeds of anger, weeds of selfishness… we are putting the grave clothes back on the new man Lazarus!. (John11)
Gardens are usually planted on purpose. They are beautiful to look at, intoxicating to inhale, and show a purpose for ground that was once barren. Verse 8 “But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life. So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit.” It takes a simple exhale sometimes to spread the most toxic weeds, it takes doing something on purpose to grow a garden. I love that part that says, “We will harvest a good crop, if we don’t give up.” Becoming more like Jesus takes living on purpose. It takes realizing that life isn’t about you. It’s about Him. The true gardener. (John 15)
My mother loves to garden, and some of my favorite times with her is walking with her in her flower gardens when the harvest is good. The excitement, the joy, the pride she exudes as she shows me the variety of beauty that exists from her hard work is treasured memories. I imagine God does the same with us, when we love each other well. I believe we become an intoxicating fragrance of worship. I believe the beauty that reaches heaven as a heart is made glad at our love, is as satisfying as when He looked at the original creation and said, “It’s good!”
From her garden this year: (She always plants my favorite colors!)
The scripture goes on to say
“Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.”
I have learned that I can come back to the states once the race is over, with wonderful stories of how I loved on orphans and widows, the destitute and downtrodden, but if I don’t love my team well, the people around me, then I’ve missed something. I’ve missed a greater harvest. I’ve missed the heart of God.
Who can you plant seeds of love on today? Who has God placed in your life that doesn’t need another scripture, but needs to hear from YOUR heart that they are loved by you? Who is that person who needs to know that God’s grace starts with your embrace? For me, it begins with Micah, Michelle, Brooke, Derek, Will and Liz. My brothers and sisters! Then it goes to the members of Z-Squad!!! Seize every opportunity to love like Jesus does.
