It is planting season here in Florida. Of course it is planting season every day here in Florida, so that is not surprising! My greatest challenge is getting the soil right. The sand is great for moisture drainage, so I don’t have to worry about the roots rotting or running out of space. But I do have to worry about my new plants drying up and dying. It can happen in a single day. If I am not watching, the sun can suck all the life out of a plant. I almost had it happen yesterday with some shrubs I am rooting. I forgot to add water to my rooting chamber, and in the evening some of the plants had wilted. I think I caught it in time.
Knowing when someone is prepared to hear the message of hope we have can be difficult. Sometimes we think someone is ready, but the message bounces off like a kid’s bouncy ball. And sometimes they just start to ask the right questions, as if they were reading from a script and they walk into a relationship with Christ almost effortlessly. It all has to do with preparation.
Today’s soil is prepared. What makes this soil, this person’s heart good? Well they hear, accept and produce. They hear the Word, unlike those along the path, those with hard hearts. They are willing to let the Word penetrate, since they are soft and receptive. Instead of letting the birds come and steal the seed, they embrace the message.
They also accept the Word. They are not like the seed that feel among the stones. They are willing to let it take root. They recognize that the “stuff” of life is there to give root to God’s Word. The things that have caused pain and questioning are recognized as important parts of their journeys. Those pains have prepared them for this moment. Without those things that our society rejects as painful and unnecessary, they would have no depth, no ability to support roots. They have some depth in other areas of life. They know how to survive in a drought. They can dig deep and keep going.
They are also not like the seed with the thorns. They are able to stay focused and not get sidetracked. They recognize the important things in life, and let the unimportant slide to the side and fall off the radar. They know how to say “No” to those things, and “Yes” to the important. And when we say “Yes” to those things then we are fulfilling our purpose in Christ. We reproduce.
The yields almost sound like the stock market. You put a dollar in and you get 30, 60 or 100 dollars out. These are tremendous yields for crops prior to hybridization and pest control. Even today a single wheat plant produces about 30 new seeds on a good year. We are to live fruitful lives!
The Arnold Journey 