The sower and the seed

I had a conversation with a friend yesterday who shared with me about how she is using her newly found gardening skills as a way to talk about Jesus with her daughter. What a natural time to share the parable of the sower and the seed! As they worked the soil together, she told her daughter the story as found in Matthew chapter 13:

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9He who has ears, let him hear.”

I hope that I'll remember this the next time I am in the garden with my children. Although they will hear this parable literally, thinking that it is only about seeds and soil, when they are older they will be able to remember it and think about what it really means. Thanks to Amita for sharing such a meaningful way of sharing the love of God with my kids...how wonderful it is that we have friends who help us grow in our faith!