Planting Seeds

I walked outside through the front door to find this:

My Mom planting flowers with Claire, Luke & Caleb.

Something about taking the time to personally plant flowers from seeds makes everything seem right with the world. Why do we get such a rush of accomplishment to bury a little seed and then wait? Why when the seeds actually come up do we feel like we've really done something? And why aren't we angry when the blossoms all fade and fall to the ground at the end of the season?

I've come to believe that planting is an art and also a learned skill. And we all need someone who's artistic and who's a natural teacher in our lives. That's why God gave me my Mom.
She's the best there is. She's patient and kind. She's a fantastic listener. She's slow to anger--I mean really, really slow. Not in some dopey, too-laid-back kind of way, but in the slow-to-cast judgment, waits to hear people out, gives people the benefit of the doubt kind of way. Seriously. If you don't know her, it would drastically improve your life to make it happen. And my mom's got a green thumb. Bonus!

Some people bury seeds because they understand microbiology and can calculate to the hour precisely what happens to a seed to turn it into a flower. Some people bury seeds because they're optimists like me and hope something will grow. Some people bury seeds because it's Spring and that's what you're supposed to do when it's Spring. My kids are burying seeds because someone took time to teach them about planting. Someone wanted them to have that little rush of spirit when the first leaf pops out. My fabulous Mom. She's the best!

So you plant the seeds.


You smush 'em down.

Then you wait.

The waiting part of planting is hard. Especially if you're four years old. (Or if you have some issues with control that you haven't worked out yet.) But it really helps to talk a person through the waiting. It goes something like this. "This is when we wait. It might take awhile. Some seeds might come up faster than others. I've even heard of some seeds that lay dormant and then come up next year. We just have to wait and see"

Waiting is hard to do in a lot of situations. Say like . . .life itself! But it really helps to have someone close by telling you good things are going to come when the waitings over. In my own life, my Mom has helped fill the waiting times with peace because she reminds me of God's purposes. Now is the time to wait. That's why God gave me my Mom. She's the best!

I think God knew what He was doing when He put planting, reaping, seed time, harvest, and sowing analogies in the Bible. The concepts of how seeds are buried, grow, die, are buried again, and grow again continues to amaze and challenge me.

I'm thankful my Mom took time to plant seeds with my kiddos, but I'm more grateful for the seeds she's been planting in all of our hearts. She really is the best. I don't know how or why God chose to give me the best Mom on the planet, but He did.