Seeds & Fall

SCRIPTURE: Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. John 12:24

THOUGHT: There’s something wistful in me as I watch those seeds flying through the air in fall – milkweed, helicopter seed pods from trees, and so many other types of seeds that God has given wings. I’ve always wished I could fly, so it doesn’t surprise me. The real surprise is that, while beautiful in flight, the seeds’ destination is always down. A fall to the ground, and even lower, until it can plant itself in the soil and die. That’s not the part I love to think about as much.

Almost seven years ago, one of my brothers passed away suddenly. We weren’t close, but we had made progress over childhood wounds that had wrought destruction in both our lives. Unmarried, he had asked me to execute his will, and I brushed it off as a request I didn’t trust, not returning his call for a year. Now, three years later he was gone, and my loss was compounded by guilt for having finally accepted his request, but failing to really reach out to him, trying to close the gap between us. I was cordial, but my heart wasn’t really in it.

As the reality of his death set in, in the midst of the chaos of planning his funeral and settling his estate, his death became like a seed falling in the ground, growing up into a lot of goodness, kindness and healing in my life. Through his friends and final wishes, death revealed the contents of his heart in a way I had resisted seeing, and new life has sprung up because of it.

I have learned to not be so wistful as I watch the swirling, twirling seeds with wings fall. They teach a lesson to not resist the fall of the seed so hard. God has an amazing plan for all the seeds of my life and yours, and it may involve a death, but there is also a resurrection and redemption if we just trust and wait.

PRAYER: Oh God of the seed, what creative compassion you have. Plant your life in us, then reveal it for the sake of others and your Kingdom as we fall, usually kicking and screaming, into the ground – unlike our Savior, who willingly chose this path out of obedience to your great love.