Seeds By Cortney Donelson

Psalm 97:11 (The Message)

“Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God’s people, Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil.”

What is your seed?

I think you know what I am referring to – although you may choose to ignore the question for a host of reasons. Maybe the whisper of fear prevents you from saying it out loud. You ask yourself, “Is God big enough?” Perhaps anger and pain stop you from admitting you have this seed. The ugly tentacles of denial could be strangling the sound right from your voice, preventing you from naming it. Or, maybe the liar is trying to convince you that you don’t have what it takes – whether “it” is talent, resources, courage, time, money…

What is your seed?

God is many things. One of His favorite occupations is planter. God plants seeds. In nature, His seeds grow into beautiful flowers, trees, vegetables, or fruits. Sometimes it happens whether others see the beauty or not – such as with wildflowers in the forest. God also plants seeds within us. Sadly, sometimes our seeds and the beauty that can grow from them are never shared either. God hopes that doesn’t happen.

What is your seed?

Psalm 97:11 tells us “Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God’s people…” Think about that. We were created with seeds in the deepest part of our beings that have the capacity to crack open and transform into beautiful light – His light. When we were created in God’s image, He planted this light-seed that shines from within, beckoning others to Him. How do I believe this works? First, let’s answer the question, “What is your seed?”

A good friend of mine once told me that she had dreamed of adopting a child when she was very young. She had even written it down as a goal in one of her school yearbooks. At age 39, that adoption seed cracked open and bloomed as she boarded an airplane for China to bring home her little girl. Now, God’s light is shining through, and others are taking notice.

My husband shared with me that he had an ambition for public speaking as a child, but he never thought the opportunity was right. At age 37, that speaking seed cracked open and bloomed as he stood on a stage in front of dozens of teenagers to share an important message God had deposited within him. Now, God’s light is shining through, and others are taking notice.

My light-seed was writing. For years, I attempted to put my ideas on paper without success. Then, at age 36, after going through the darkest time of my life, God cracked open my writing seed, and it has bloomed into a devotional blog and written talks for God’s Kingdom. In His perfect timing, God unleashed the power of this light-seed so that my writing had purpose – for His glory. I ran from the fear, and I said yes to the opportunities that allowed His beautiful light to bloom. Now, God’s light is shining through, and others are taking notice.

What are your dreams? What tugs at your heart? What did God plant in you? What is your light-seed? We all have at least one. Maybe it is on this list – God is waiting for you to name it, to say it out loud, and to allow Him to bring it to life - to light.

• Adoption
• Art
• Counseling
• Foster Care
• Healing
• Ministry
• Missions
• Music
• Philanthropy/Giving
• Public Speaking
• Teaching
• Volunteering
• Worship
• Writing

Once we name our seeds, what do we do with them? Will we let them sit there in our souls, tugging at our heart strings as we simultaneously smother His light? I pray not! God provides opportunities to crack them open, cultivate them, and grow them. God will support them so long as we take those opportunity gifts and do something with them. After all, the seeds were planted by Him for very specific purposes. This is how God asks us to “let our light shine.”

In the movie “Evan Almighty,” God (as played by Morgan Freeman) spoke to the wife of the main character. She doesn't realize it was God with whom she was conversing. He said something so profound that it stayed with me. “When people pray for courage, does God make them courageous? Or, does God provide opportunities for them to be courageous?” I believe it is the latter. God will give us the opportunities to carry out the things He created us to do. I pray that we act on those opportunities and not let fear, pride, disbelief, selfishness, or distrust get in the way. “…with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

Psalm 97:11 continues, “…Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil.” Ah, joy! We all have joy-seeds too. According to Scripture, God planted them in our hearts. How do we unleash this joy? Heart-soil becomes good when our light-seeds are shining in perfect bloom. When our soul’s seeds have matured and we have said yes to doing that which we were created to do, joy spills over. That is His promise.

I often think about the other side of Heaven. I have no idea what it looks like, what I will feel when I get there, or all the questions that may be answered when I arrive. I do know this: I do not want to get there and find out I had a light-seed that I kept buried in fear’s darkness. I do not want God to show me all I could have accomplished for Him and all I could have become had I said yes to that seed and the opportunities God gifted to crack it open. I want His light and joy to pour out of me. I want people to look at my one shot at a life of significance, to be drawn to that light and joy, and for them to say, “I want that.”

I bet many of us want that. God’s light is waiting for us. And, when it cracks open and we live in its full bloom, people will take notice…

Prayer – Thank You for the dreams and desires You plant in our hearts and souls. My prayer is that no gift goes unopened but that we allow You to be the I AM that we are not. Remind us that You will strengthen us through Christ who lives within us. We love You. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

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