Seeds in good soil

We've been doing a lot in our garden recently – knocking down the falling-down shed and building a new fence (Jonny's department), but also planting out a few things, enjoying watching other things grow and taking lots of pretty photos (my department). (The children have been involved in both of the above, as well as creating an even bigger mud bath out of the part of the garden which could once have been called a 'lawn'.) It's got me thinking about planting and growing and the cycles of life generally. It's reminded me that gardening is one of my favourite metaphors for parenting – what seeds are we planting day by day in our children's lives? What words of encouragement are we sowing? How are we nurturing the shoots of curiosity and kindness, creativity and goodness which we want to see grow and come to full flower in their lives? How are we guiding and cultivating good and healthy habits, like upright canes which allow runner beans to climb towards the sun? It's also a challenge to me in my Christian life, my spiritual life. Am I diligently keeping an eye out for the weeds which spring up in my heart and mind and threaten to take over? Am I weeding out the roots of sin by seeing it in the first place, quickly confessing it and gladly receiving God's forgiveness? And what fruit am I cultivating and praying for God's Holy Spirit to produce in my life? '… [T]he fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.' (Galatians 5: 22-23) Are those things growing in me? And finally, as I read my Bible each day, look towards Sunday (the 'Lord's Day') this week, the high point of the Christian's week, what kind of 'soil' is my heart as I prepare to receive the seeds of God's word? Jesus told a parable about that. Too long to type out here perhaps, but you can find it in Matthew chapter 13. Will God's word fall on 'good' soil? Receptive soil, ready to hear not just with my ears but allow it to sink deep into my heart and grow into something pleasing to God? Something fruitful? Or will I allow other things – 'weeds', whether they be the normal cares of everyday life, or other things which I allow to take my attention from what's really important – to choke out those precious seeds? It's worth asking ourselves these questions, I think. Are you ever in a position where you can hear that word and receive that seed being scattered? Are you open to hearing from God? I think that's the biggest question of all.

What is growing in your garden?

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