My children and I decided last summer that we would rent a small plot at a community garden. They were excited. We started seeds in the spring in our living room window. My youngest two eagerly came out with me for planting day.
My five-year-old quickly lost her enthusiasm when she realized how much work it took to plant the garden. I think she had visions of quickly scattering some seeds and transplanting her little plants and we would be done. In typical five-year-old fashion, she asked endless questions about why it mattered how we prepped the soil and the ground for the plants.
This parable is easy to understand. We all pray that our hearts will be good soil, and the word of God will grow and flourish in us. But there are times when life makes us feel like it would be easier to just let our soil be hard and rocky, or sun-dried, or easily trampled. We are, at times, all four types of soil. And sometimes our inner five-year-old gets impatient with the process.
We need to take the time to nurture our soil. To shape and tenderize how it will receive the seed.
Dear Lord, let our hearts be good soil. Let us be ready to receive your word and water it, and take the time and effort it needs to grow. Amen. —