Thursday, May 27, 2010

A Time For Everything

A Time for Everything

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build
Ecclesiastes 3: 1-3


Spring always helps me reflect on the newness of life. It reminds me of new beginnings, of things starting fresh. Spring to me is a time of renewal. It’s a time of year that I look back and think about maybe some mistakes I’ve made and ask myself, what I can do to make things better going forward.

It also reminds me that I have in the past, had a tendency, when I make mistakes; to hide them or ignore them like they didn’t happen. Like I’m the only person who saw it or witnessed it, so I can bury them in the dirt where no one will see. But we know that spring brings warmer weather, a lot of rain, sometimes strong winds.

Have you ever planted a spring garden too early and the wind and rain of spring washes the seeds to the surface and exposed them to the whole world? Sometimes that’s the way our sins are. We think we can hide them just beneath a thin layer of soil and no one will know, but God comes along and gives us a little of His wind and rain, and we’re totally exposed to the world. There’s no hiding it after that. It’s embarrassing, it’s awkward, but most of all for me, it’s convicting.

He doesn’t expose us for his entertainment. He exposes us for our humility. It’s His way of saying to us, “You can’t slip that little secret under the rug and not think I’m not going to see it”.

I do garden some and I’ve found that some seeds need to be wiped or washed off before they’re planted. I think God does that with us, He allows the winds and rains to expose our flaws so He can pick us up, wash us of that sin and replant us deep in His soil so we can grow as He planned. When we give Him control He will plant us in His garden and his love cultivates and fertilizes our lives and we grow to His potential.

We are to be gardeners, good gardeners. Gardeners that plant seeds of God’s truth, of His love, of His forgiveness and His plans for our lives and for the lives of those we love. We are to plant seeds for tomorrow- for His coming Kingdom.

The Bible speaks a lot about planting, sewing and about harvesting and we have so many people that cross our paths everyday. Maybe we have family, spouses or children. Maybe it’s co-workers and friends. Or maybe it’s those that we don’t see eye-to-eye with. How can we plant seed to these people? -by our actions, by our speech, by our attitude.

For me the two hardest groups to plant seeds are family and enemies, family because they know me so well. They see me when I’m good and when I’m bad. They see me when I’m strong and when I’m weak. It feels like I’m living in a fish bowl and they watch everything, just waiting for me to make a mistake so they can say “HEY, you can’t do that- you’re supposed to be a Christian”

My enemies because sometimes it feels as no matter what you do, they’re not going to like you, let alone listen to what you have to say about God and His promises for their life.

But we are commanded to plant seeds, to witness- to be salt as the Bible calls it. I want to encourage you to really see the people in your life that need the Lord. Words are sometimes forgotten, but actions can stay with someone forever. Be an example of Him in everything we do, whether we’re with family, friends, co-workers or in awkward situations with those we don’t want us around. Lift them up in prayer and ask God for ways to reflect His love to them. I want to encourage you to do something this week that truly reflects the Lord in your life and my His Kingdom be glorified.

Julie

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