Seeds of Life

This time of year, I get energized by the longer days here in WI. Even though temps are still staggering to reach summer levels, it will soon be my favorite time of year, when the 3G’s are fully realized!

No, I’m not talking about outdated cell service or when I’d pass out riding with a real Top Gun pilot in a fighter jet!  My 3G’s of summer are:  Grilling, Golfing, and Gardening!  Now, I do really like all kinds of other outdoor activities, too, but these are top of the list!

Whatever meat or vegetable comes off the grill on our patio, joining good company and a favorite beverage, it’s the best!  You know what I’m talking about!  Away from the backyard, I like to propel and chase a little white ball over the 4 miles of widely varying terrain that’s a golf course.  Along the way, I get to visit rolling hills, memorable waterways, dense forests, and sandy beaches- all in one place.  It’s like a 4 hour vacation if I don’t take my score too personally!

Last but not least, is when I get to help seeds grow and become food that nourishes me, my family, neighbors, and friends!  Now, the south side of our house is just a hobby garden, but it touches something deep within me.  In ways I can’t fully describe, working the garden “grounds” me with the earth, God, and life.  All in a 7×40 foot spot!

Seeds are the source of life for all the fruits, vegetables, and spices use for food.  Though much of our lives today are detached from agriculture, staying connected with the basics has many benefits. Jesus used agriculture to help illustrate timeless truths about spiritual life today that yield present and lasting fulfillment:

> Seed, soil, conditions for growth, and multiplied harvest
(Mark 4:1-20, also Luke 8:1-15 & Matthew 13:1-23)

> Vine, branches, vital connection, and much, lasting fruit
(John 15:1-17)

Each day is opportunity for the love and life of Jesus Christ to take root and grow within us…  Then as we follow and walk with him in our every day lives, they yield fruit that perpetuates new life within us and in others!  Let’s do it!