"Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with kindness."
Hosea 10:12
January comes upon us sometimes with a little darkness and weariness. Christmas promised to be delightful but sometimes the anticipation of family delight, celebratory days has not quite lived up to what we expected. We hoped to be spiritual but sometimes we feel guilty that we were so busy, we were not quite able to be still and worship as we had hoped.
Add to that, the many days staying inside because of cold, the messes we are still cleaning up and amidst it all, our people still want to eat and wear relatively clean clothes.
Learning that January is a season of waiting on God, learning to be content even through the sometimes monotonous days, is a part of life in which some of the greatest fruit will be formed. Growth takes time, muscle has to be built over many days of being stretched. And so I have learned not to despise the Januaries of my life.
I have always loved fields of wildflowers. Seems to me when I see fields and fields of the beauty, (and blue is my favorite color), I almost feel like it is evidence of the invisible hands of God still planting flowers in His gardens to remind us that He is still creating and perpetuating life, even when we are not aware.
When looking at a tiny seed, it is impossible to see what will bloom from this minute speck of nothing, -the color it will produce, the bloom or fruit, or how large the plant will be. There is vast potential locked within, that under the right circumstances--planted in good soil, watered and covered in sunshine, a miracle will happen. The seed transforms into something more than itself--it gives birth to a plant that blooms and brings beauty, life, color and a fruit--and this is a miracle-almost something out of nothing.
And so, during the waiting times, the slow times, God calls us to sow--to sow broadly, generously, diligently.
Sometimes the seeds that He requires us to sow, do not obviously promise anything--yet, we are asked to believe in the potential--the latent miracles inside of these small life-seeds.
We are to sow with a view to righteousness--not seeing or knowing totally the vast potential of what is in our hands. But ours is to be faithful to sow, by faith, the seeds of promise given to us--
to cast the seed of promise into the soil of life, generously, diligently, faithfully--
And His is to do the miracle-
To take all of the planting of faith seeds, and love seeds, and integrity seeds, and faithfulness seeds, into the moments of our lives when no one else is looking;
faithfulness to the gospel and spreading the good news;
serving our children, and loving and helping our spouses;
praying and believing when no sprout of answer is in sight.
And yet, in time, in His hands,
there will be such a bounty of beauty, a harvest from the seeds planted in life, that we will finally see, that
He was creating the miracle right beside us--the seeds will indeed sprout into a harvest of righteousness and redemption that will be beyond what we could have imagined.
But, the harvest of such sowing is only for those who plant, and water and cultivate and wait, by faith, believing in the promise of what lays ahead.
So, dear God, let us look at the flowers you have planted and see the potential beautiful harvest of our lives, if we will only believe in the seed potential in our lives right now,
which by faith will become a harvest of righteousness beyond measure.
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While you are waiting, …, be sure to purchase your copy of The Girls’ Club. I think it will encourage you, give you some things to do during this season and help you to cultivate ways to develop community, closer relationships, (even with those in. your home!) It is our hope that it will fill your heart and delight your soul.
