A Forgotten Seed

something that we all have many of.

Apr 21, 2022

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One of my favorite aspects of gardening is starting plants from seed. There is something about taking something so small that I can barely see it and watching it grow into a huge plant within a matter of months that just brings so much awe and wonder into my life.

Yet I’d be lying if I said that I hadn’t given up on a few seeds before.

Just a few months ago I had tried to grow poppies from seed, to no avail—or so I thought. I babied and babied my seeds each and every day. I would wake up, make sure they had enough water and sunlight, and patiently waited to see the fruits of my labor. Well, as luck would have it, I never saw a single leaf break through the surface of the soil; that is, for the time being.

As time passed, I had given up on my poppy seeds. I hadn’t watered them in days, perhaps even weeks; and one day I was walking past my seed starting kit and I noticed something peculiar: there were tiny little green leaves poking through the surface of the soil.

“My poppies!” I shouted, still in utter disbelief.

It wasn’t until those two words left my mouth that I had learned my lesson:

While we might not always believe that the seeds we sow are going to bring life into the world, the truth is that they are going to sprout when the time is right. There is no amount of preparation or work that could change the fact that seeds know when the time to germinate is right. It doesn’t matter if we have our own schedules to keep in order. The seeds know, even if we truly have no idea.

Every single action matters. While I have no clue what suddenly made those poppy seeds sprout, I would be willing to bet that all of the work I had done to nurture them in the days prior probably helped a little bit. If you feel like you’re watering a seed that is never going to sprout, don’t give up. The seed knows exactly what it is supposed to do. God plants seeds in our lives knowing that one day they will not only sprout, but they will also produce the most beautiful flowers and the sweetest fruit. You just have to give yourself, and the seeds, some time.

Dear brothers and sisters, be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen.

James 5:7 NLT

Amados hermanos, tengan paciencia mientras esperan el regreso del Señor. Piensen en los agricultores, que con paciencia esperan las lluvias en el otoño y la primavera. Con ansias esperan a que maduren los preciosos cultivos.

Santiago 5:7 NTV