We plant seeds every day. Seeds of deeds and seeds of words. Seeds of thoughts and seeds of feelings.
I finished reading through the Bible again yesterday. This means I was at the end of the Old Testament (Malachi), New Testament. (Revelation), Psalms & Proverbs. One of the verses that stopped me in my tracks was Proverbs 31:27 which says,
" She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness."
We’d just been talking about the significance of Bread in Torah Club. What does the Psalmist mean? The “bread” of idleness. Bread is food. If one eats idleness, I suppose one becomes puffed up with idleness. More idleness will grow?
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Our daily choices matter because they grow something. I think that is what it means.
When we purchased our farm, I wanted to name it. Our former farm became Bittersweet Farm due to the vine growing on my windmill. Christy and Nathan Nockels named their homestead in Tennessee “Keepers Branch” — I love the sound of it. It is compelling. Pineview Acres is the original name I landed on, but it’s fallen flat. It feels generic. So, I went looking for the old journal from late 2018 with the forty words written with which to choose a name from. I still haven’t found my list, but this entry I read (think, notes to God) seemed appropriate to share due to our current state of affairs:
“I think I once thought that they (people who are not following God) could go on living and I would be unaffected. All seemed well–
But now I know that all the lies accumulating in the world, shutting out the light (they love darkness, they hate light) have an impact on the life of all.
When men’s minds are dark (darkened by sin and satan and self) then so is society.
Darkness and depravity bring about poverty. the impoverished soul impoverishes self . . . impoverishes those who are meant to be given life. The good and perfect gift from the Father is Life and Light and Truth . . . and the life in Christ is the gift perfected." Oh, God, may the people want Your light!
We have no way of knowing what we will reap from the seeds sown in 2020. Only time will tell if the darkness that has descended upon our land will continue or if the light will break in.
What can we do? How can we sow seeds of light?
Besides prayer, I believe Philippians 2:12-18 has a recipe for us for 2021:
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
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