I am a typical woman.
I am very emotional.
Every time I watch the movie “Steel Magnolias” and Sally Field has a meltdown at her daughter’s funeral, I cry.
You will often see me cry about random stuff, but once in a while I try to cry about serious things :). Staid tears normally stream down my face when I see people hurting, when loved ones go through a difficult time, or when injustice takes place. These moments tend to break my heart.
But the times I cry the most are usually during sowing seasons.
My husband and I moved into our new house with no grass, no plants, no colour -
nothing. Everything was dead.
BROWN was everywhere: brown patches of grass, brown leaves, brown ground- it really looked ugly. We didn’t know anything about gardening – all we knew was that the brown had to turn into GREEN QUICKLY!
Our attempts failed
horribly. First, we realised that we needed time to water the garden, which we
didn’t have – so the garden became drier and drier. We bought new plants, but
it died. We gave up Saturdays to dig
holes, get rid of rocks and plant new seed – with many tears. But it didn’t
help. Every time we parked our car in the driveway and looked at our garden,
we became discouraged.
In a strange way I could somehow relate to the brown, patchy garden. I found myself in a spiritual place full of brown spots, areas where the promises of God did not yet come to fulfilment. Even though I knew that the ground was fruitful, it felt as if nothing wanted to grow. Oh, how I would cry "serious tears" for the Kingdom to come in a specific brown-spot area, releasing my faith for God to send rain and make it green! Many times during these “crying” sessions the Holy Spirit encouraged me to keep on sowing, it didn't matter how dry things looked. He reminded me of a scripture in Matt 13:24: The Kingdom of God is like a man that sowed good seed….”
To be honest, I didn't really feel like doing the “the happy
dance" after I read the scripture! Oh no, quite the opposite. I knew (from experience working in my garden), that the process would be very difficult. But I also knew that I was
called to sow good seed (sometimes with tears) in the dry and brown areas of my spiritual life. I also knew that it would take sacrifice. Isaac was also called in Genesis 26: 12 to sow seed,
and God blessed him with a harvest of a hundredfold . My calling was to do the same, by continually asking the Lord to make a way where
there seemed to be no way, to dig up holes and plant seeds for the Word to take root, even when the
ground felt hard. I had to water the seeds by continuing choosing to walk by the
Spirit. Yes, I was called to help turn brown areas into green areas and to “Go forth sowing!”
And change came. God is the God of the harvest and hope will never disappoint.
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A Song of Ascents.
Every time I watch the movie “Steel Magnolias” and Sally Field has a meltdown at her daughter’s funeral, I cry.
When Susan Boyle walks unto the stage, with the cameras zooming in on the sceptical audience, and she starts singing at her first "Britain's got talent" audition, I cry.
When I miss people I don’t know, a life I don’t have, places
I haven’t seen, well basically any time I feel like it, I cry.
I am the “ice-cream eating, tissue sneezing” type of
girl…..exactly like the movies portray. You will often see me cry about random stuff, but once in a while I try to cry about serious things :). Staid tears normally stream down my face when I see people hurting, when loved ones go through a difficult time, or when injustice takes place. These moments tend to break my heart.
But the times I cry the most are usually during sowing seasons.
This month I felt on my heart to share a testimony of how I gained more perspective after going through (yet another) sowing season. The Holy Spirit did a beautiful job in leading me through all the stages of the process: the Seed, the Time and the Harvest phase.
Hos 10:12
Hos 10:12
Sow for yourselves righteousness; Reap in mercy; Break up your fallow ground, For it is time to seek the Lord, Till He comes and rains righteousness on you.
SEED:
BROWN was everywhere: brown patches of grass, brown leaves, brown ground- it really looked ugly. We didn’t know anything about gardening – all we knew was that the brown had to turn into GREEN QUICKLY!
In a strange way I could somehow relate to the brown, patchy garden. I found myself in a spiritual place full of brown spots, areas where the promises of God did not yet come to fulfilment. Even though I knew that the ground was fruitful, it felt as if nothing wanted to grow. Oh, how I would cry "serious tears" for the Kingdom to come in a specific brown-spot area, releasing my faith for God to send rain and make it green! Many times during these “crying” sessions the Holy Spirit encouraged me to keep on sowing, it didn't matter how dry things looked. He reminded me of a scripture in Matt 13:24: The Kingdom of God is like a man that sowed good seed….”
TIME:
Gal 6:8-9
For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Gal 6:8-9
For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Hours, minutes and seconds passed slowly. Days went by without seeing anything. God wanted me to wait patiently for Him. These two words
(patience and waiting) were very difficult to comprehend, especially because I don't like waiting! But I had to trust by faith that the seed that I have sown would one
day grow into strong plants - it didn't matter how long it took!
Many evenings during the brown, patchy season I would run to God with red, puffy eyes, seeking Him while I wait. Some people tend to run away from God, but I ran straight to God, with tears rolling down my face – waiting patiently for God to rain down righteousness. I tried not to lose faith, but kept on petitioning for change.
Many evenings during the brown, patchy season I would run to God with red, puffy eyes, seeking Him while I wait. Some people tend to run away from God, but I ran straight to God, with tears rolling down my face – waiting patiently for God to rain down righteousness. I tried not to lose faith, but kept on petitioning for change.
It was no different from gardening. There were many days when George and I woke up, opened the
curtains and looked outside to see if our plants survived, if the brownness on our grass
disappeared. We had to shake off the disappointment when we saw no change. The harvest did not yet come, and we had to
make peace with it. It was still a shuffle-season! But we expected change....
HARVEST:And change came. God is the God of the harvest and hope will never disappoint.
One day George and I woke up, opened the curtains, and saw
GREEN everywhere! Our garden looked luscious, with no brown or dry spots! We
couldn’t believe our eyes. It was like a dream come true! The feeling when you
start seeing glimpses of a harvest is mind-blowing.
God started opening doors, started raining down on the brown patches in my spiritual life as well, gave me revelations and insights -and helped me to make sense from confusing concepts. The brown started turning into green!
THE SOWING SEASON ENDED IN VICTORY:
God started opening doors, started raining down on the brown patches in my spiritual life as well, gave me revelations and insights -and helped me to make sense from confusing concepts. The brown started turning into green!
THE SOWING SEASON ENDED IN VICTORY:
I believe that all children of God should have harvest
surprises! God likes going green!
He predestined an inheritance for each one of us – and we should doubtless come
again rejoicing, bringing our sheaves with us.
WHY?
So that everyone will know that the Lord did great things
for us!__________________________________________________________________________________
So this is what I know and what I believe:
Things might seem brown around you, but one day you will
open the curtains of your life, and see green everywhere.
Just keep on sowing!
Ps 126
A Joyful Return to
Zion
When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion,
We were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with singing.
Then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
We were like those who dream.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with singing.
Then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
Bring back our
captivity, O Lord,
As the streams in the South
As the streams in the South
Those who sow in
tears
Shall reap in joy.
He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him
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(Please note: This post is not advocating a spirit of heaviness or sorrow - rather tears/crying (in this context) can also be substituted with the word hardship)
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Shall reap in joy.
He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him
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(Please note: This post is not advocating a spirit of heaviness or sorrow - rather tears/crying (in this context) can also be substituted with the word hardship)
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