The seed metaphor

As obscure as agriculture is to us today, barring of course favorite backyard gardens, metaphors about natural things still resonate. When I reflect on the work I do at PCA, I often think of it in terms of fruit--does what I do bear fruit? When talking with Michael about future passions, desires, interests, careers I council him that, "Whatever you decide to do after school, you will have to put your hand to some plow: it is just up to you decide what plow it will be." When Noël and I have conversations, they will often convict me of something about the nature of God, the nature of God relating with man and result in growth. When I think about what the growth looks like, it resembles something nature-ish growing (i.e. tree) and not the development of a baby into a child or another type of human development.

While driving back from errands I was considering two resources within my control (one more abundant than the other): time and money. I asked myself, "What would it look like if every dollar and every minute spent = a single seed?" A single seed = a mustard tree = kelp (which indirectly = ice cream) = this year's christmas tree = soy bean for soy lattes. In the same way, each minute might = deeper relationships = new understanding of God = new thoughts = more smiles = a "howdy" to a stranger; or each dollar = gift for others = investment in a richer life (mine or someone else's), etc.

If then each minute or dollar is like a seed: Would my seeds grow? What would my fields look like, especially as time elapsed? What could I do to improve my agricultural practices of sowing seeds of time or money?

He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come." Mark 4:26-29

See also: II Cor 9:6, Isa 32, Mat 13:31-2