Oh how we struggle to imagine we can make a difference in our world! Little you. Little me. Not enough of either of us. But what if we invest what's right in our pocket? Read on as my friend, Debbie Johnson, challenges us to sow a pocketful of seeds and create a powerful result.
Elisa
Power Seeds
By Debbie Johnson
It was a Saturday. I had stopped by my favorite coffee shop for that perfect cappuccino, but wouldn't you know it, I sat down in the middle of a hornet's nest! A couple was arguing nearby. The guy at the next table was spewing out some pretty foul words. An older man was staring out the window, through tears.
So I gave up the peaceful cappuccino dream, took in the scene ... and had the craziest notion. I envisioned Jesus walking through, touching each of those folks on the arm, and the fighting, cussing, and sadness just melting away. Wouldn't that be the most amazing power to have? To touch people and sow peace? That beats a peaceful cappuccino any day.
And then I wondered if maybe we do have that power. Maybe that's what it means to walk in the Spirit. Maybe that's what it means to reach into our pocketful of seeds, to sow goodness and peace into the soil of the world.
And seeds are big deals. None are insignificant, even when you or I think we have nothing to offer. The Kingdom of God "is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants ..." (Mark 4:31-32).
Jesus said this about mustard-seed faith: "Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." (Matthew 17:20).
The smallest seed is a big deal. As Pope Benedict XVI said, "I have a mustard seed and I'm not afraid to use it!"
A seed might be a word, an action, a note, a trip, a prayer, a touch on the arm, a donation, an outcry. Such seeds can bring forth peace for a troubled soul ... or electricity for Africa ... or aid for refugees. These are power seedsthat can reach to the remotest parts of the earth.
My friend, Julie, invested $50 into a micro-loan program years ago. That one loan (seed) has enabled eight people to take the leap out of poverty.
My friends at the Dalit Freedom were instrumental in the passing of legislation, HCR139, which expressed outrage over the practice of untouchability in India. A congressional resolution (seed) on behalf of people considered to be of less value than insects? Groundbreaking.
The point is, we can make a profound difference daily. We can sow a pocketful of seeds into the soil of the world. You might say we can become "seedy!"
So what seediness does God have in mind for you?
Ghanian Israelmore Ayivor said this: "God calls big trees out of small seeds, so He prepares great monuments out of small minds. He will definitely call those wonderful things He put in you out of you. When He begins, do not resist."
Debbie Johnson is the author of the newly released book, A Pocketful of Seeds. She has always had a passion for social change. In 1995, she founded DenverWorks to equip the unemployed in her community. She led the organization for ten years before she left to serve first as the VP of Programs at Dalit Freedom Network, then as the Executive Director of India Transformed. In 2015, she returned to DenverWorks. She and her husband live on a farm by the Rocky Mountains. Debbie loves picking vegetables from their garden and fixing good ol' Southern meals for her family and friends. Connect with Debbie at www.debbieljohnson.com.