WORD WEDNESDAY | PLANTED
- Terra Wagner
- Apr 18, 2018
- 3 min read
This morning as I walked slowly into the kitchen to begin our morning routine, of getting all the people in all the right places, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye.
There was a bunny in the backyard.
Now, before you have nice little thoughts about this bunny you must remember that I just recently planted our garden in the backyard.
My thoughts went savage immediately.
Why you ask?
Because those baby carrot plants are just starting to grow and heaven forbid a cute & quiet invader come and snatch them up before they can become mature plants! I worked hard on those seedlings!
I ran outside in my robe waving my arms and lecturing that bunny about my baby plants that will NOT be eaten today.
As I made my way inside I thought to myself (for the fourth time recently), "I have GOT to get that netting and place it around my garden!"
Planting a garden has a lot to do with a seed, water, air temperature, the sun, and most importantly... the right kind of soil. I had been focusing so much on these things that I hadn't taken notice of the bugs and bunnies that had come to nibble on the leaves of my plants.
ALL of those factors are important in the health, maturity and fruit bearing of a plant.
God has repeatedly told me in my life that I am a "seed sower". He uses me to sow seeds of faith, hope, love, trust, belief, etc, in the hearts and minds of those around me. My name, Terra, literally means land or Earth. I, by nature, am a seed sower. I do it without even trying. It's my purpose which fuels my calling and assignment. When I am walking with God and striding with Jesus, my life naturally is produced of seed sowing.
But one thing recently the Lord has been teaching me is about the invaders that come to kill, steal, and destroy after I sow the seed.
We can set someone up for success as we plant a seed in the right location and at the right time but not teach them discipline that helps them grow to maturity.
I cannot tell you the stories that I have heard over the last few months of good hearted godly people that have not even been taught how to pray. They are planted but feel picked apart by the world and have trouble bearing fruit because they have no discipline in their lives. They have not been taught how to fight off the enemy.
Friends, don't just plant seeds. Teach seeds how to grow into mature fruit bearing plants. That way, your plants (people) will not feel confused when the master of the garden (God) comes to prune them. There are so many folks around here that have accepted attack from the enemy into their life because they haven't been taught the different between pruning and attack. They don't know the difference between conviction from the Holy Spirit and shame from the devil.
A planted seed will want to uproot itself if it can't figure out these differences. In order to protect itself an entire generation of people have fled from the church because of this very thing. They have mistaken pruning from a loving God with an attack from an evil fallen angel. They have had hypocrites not take the time and love them enough to teach them the difference.
We cannot shy away from this. We, especially as moms, cannot take responsibility in only planting seeds. We have got see past the planted seed and teach our people how to THRIVE!
I feel in my heart that God is rising up a new generation that isn't afraid to walk with people as they grow. To dig their hands in the soil, sow the seeds, and then teach the people how to walk it out. I pray this next generation along with ourselves will be motivated by love. Let's be the women who set this example so that others have a path in order to follow.
May we never underestimate the power of a planted seed! And may God give you the strength and courage to walk it out as you lead others.
Hope you have a great day as you steward your little seedlings :)!