Seeds of Hope

There is a square of bare ground in our back yard. I thought this would be a perfect spot for rhubarb. For three years I tried to get rhubarb to grow in that corner plot. The plants would flourish for a month or two, then die. No matter how much new top soil I added, how well-watered I kept it, how dry it got, how fertilized it was, the end was always the same. The rhubarb died. So I finally gave up on rhubarb. My mother grew rhubarb by the mile-long-row!

Last winter I scattered native wild flower seeds over the area when it was covered with snow. I was hoping for better results. I left the area alone all spring and into summer, hoping surprise plants would finally emerge. I've only pulled those annoying spreading weeds from the area, in case I didn't recognize certain flowers. I'm beginning to see a few possibilities I recognize, like milk weed.

Soils

It reminds me of the parable Jesus told about the four soils. "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown."(Luke 8:5-8 NIV).

Jesus goes on to explain that the seed is God's Word. Some who hear, retain the message and produce good. Some do not. The soil in my little square plot is probably not good soil, yet I hope the seed can keep growing this time. At the front of my plot are three perennial flowers that seem to be doing well again this year. I don't know why the rhubarb didn't grow but it will be interesting to see how this plot works with wildflowers.

Thank you, God, for giving me Your Word. Let Your good seed be retained in me every day. Amen.