Simple Is Better – Nurturing the Seeds in Our Lives

Matthew 13:8-9 – (Jesus said,) “Other seed fell on good soil and bore fruit, in one case a yield of one hundred to one, in another case a yield of sixty to one, and in another case a yield of thirty to one. Everyone who has ears should pay attention.”

Gratitude Day 950

The little plants just kept popping up. Completely unexpected, unplanted, unknown before their little leaves burst through the rocks all around them.

As much as I love stunning flowers, I also am taken aback by the simplicity of plants that simply have gorgeous leaves. Case in point: coleus plants. With multiple colors, leave shapes, sizes and beauty, coleus plants have become one of my go-to annual plants. Every spring, I enjoy picking out a coleus variety that I haven’t seen or used before. They are versatile, fit in with so many other flowering plants and often become an anchor plant within a planter of several different plants.

Spoiler alert: they are also super easy to grow. They enjoy shade and sun. They handle low water situations. Because there are so many different varieties, finding the appropriate size for a pot is easy. They add color without having to deadhead.

My only complaint about coleus plants: they are annuals. They  only live one season. Yes, I could clip off some leaves from a favorite variety, start it inside and carry it through the winter. And I have. Sometimes, it feels easier to simply start with new plants each spring. So, this is my routine.

Until I received a HUGE surprise this year. Volunteer coleus plants from last year’s plants. Apparently, seeds hung out all winter and spring in ground covered by rocks near where I had coleus plants last year. These persistent little fellas were determined to sprout, grow and show their beauty. I know they are from last year’s plants because, well, the colors.

They are AMAZING. These little plants came up well into summer. They were so tiny with itty-bitty leaves sprouting up in the most unexpected of places: rocks. Slowly, they grew. Their location means they are in shade quite a bit of the day, and yet, they grew. More sprouted. A lone plant across the way came up. They just continue to grow, develop and add unexpected beauty to our back patio.

These little bits of inspiration have made me think. These seeds were dormant for months. Yes, months, just waiting for the right time to sprout. Slowly, they broke through the rocks and began to show their pretty colors. Once above ground, they grew more quickly, with sun and water encouraging them to spread their little plant leaves.

Isn’t this how faith grow sometimes? It may feel like it is buried deep or even dormant. But then something happens. Encouraged by a little water and a hint of sun poking between the rocks, the seed breaks open and begins to grow. Slowly at first, but then a bit quicker. It breaks through and new leaves burst onto the scene. Soon, it has friends and other buddies growing with it and now, growth seems to come quickly. As leaves spread and colors develop, these quiet seeds of faith find their footing and begin to share their beauty for all the world to see.

So, if your faith is feeling a bit dormant right now, it’s okay. Wait. Let it sit there. At some point, something will water it and help it begin to grow. It may be a rocky start and that’s okay. Growth may be slow at first. Let it be. Find friends and buddies to encourage you along and join you in the journey. Let your wings spread and allow your beauty to bless yourself and others around you because God has gifted you with so many unique and special gifts and talents. But let that faith grow because keeping it buried means someone will never get to see your full beauty.

And what a shame that would be.

Just in case you are looking for a couple other bits of inspiration today, take a peak at these:

A wonderful and touching Steve Hartman story. May it encourage you to rethink how you celebrate your birthday.

Encourage yourself to express gratitude every day in August. Yes, you can go back and do the days you missed. Yet, challenge yourself to make gratitude part of your daily practice throughout the month of August.

Finally, I appreciate every single person who reads these words of mine. May I encourage you to share them with someone else that might enjoy them? Share this post or encourage them to look up Simple Words of Faith? It would mean the world to me because each of you are so important to me.

Blessings –

Dianne

Holy God – Thank you for unexpected surprises in our lives, like the coleus plants. When my faith feels dormant or buried, encourage me to keep going with faith because one day, it will begin to sprout again and grow. Keep me close to You and others who will encourage my faith to grow even when it’s on rocky grounds. Amen.

If this post touched you, I invite you to share it.

Looking for a bit of daily inspiration? Check out my daily affirmation posts on Facebook and Instagram (Dianne Deaton Vielhuber and Simple Words of Faith.)

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