Seeds

I have beautiful memories of my grandfather. I don’t remember him SAYING a lot, but his life spoke volumes. He lived down the street from us, and he would take me to church every Sunday. Sometimes he would bake homemade bread and bring it over to us while it was still warm. I can remember going over to his apartment and seeing him sitting in his big chair, with his Bible on his lap. He would be reading a small section at a time, really taking it in. I marveled that he did not read through large sections in one sitting. I guess each word had meaning for him.

Now I’m older. What do I have to offer? I hope that I can plant “seeds” in my grandchildren, like my grandfather did for me. This fall we noticed that our maple tree was shedding hundreds of seeds onto our walkway. Our granddaughters loved learning that we call them helicopters because of the way they twirl toward the earth.

We explained that these seeds will stay out all winter. In the spring, with the warm sunshine and showers, they will send out green shoots and become new maple trees of their own.

How do we as adults pass along good seeds that take root in the lives of future generations? I think back to my grandfather…certainly LOVE is a key component, being an example through acts of kindness and words that encourage and teach truth, words like these:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.  And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

(Deuteronomy 6:5-7)

My grandfather loved me and lived these words.