I see the whisper floating from lines. Letters strung “Tend this seed.”
This gratitude seed, seed of seeing, seed of tiny graces and mercy — what Brennan Manning calls “the ministry of small things.”
Tend this seed.
For love words, fully-present listening, gathered round prayers, clean socks, piping meal are small things which are not at all. And sometimes faith eyes need help to see the small good growing amidst the looming large, for what we see and tend increases.
Perhaps you’ve forgotten that the job of the seed tender is not always outcomes. Perhaps you’ve forgotten that it is not your duty to make tender shoots unfurl from hard pod cocoons, nor your role to determine size, length of life or reach of branches.
Perhaps you’ve struggled to see that good small seed and wonder if it’s been snuffed out by lack of air and dry, rocky covering.
Then maybe one Sunday, you find yourself eating the meal, and you listen as ancient words swell, and you can’t help but kneel on carpeted floor right where you are, let the tears run and remember how tender soil and water always help fragile seeds grow.
* Photo courtesy of Sici Larkin
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This is Day 21 of Right Here. Throughout October, I’m joining with a community of bloggers (linking up with The Nester) — all of whom are writing each day of the month about a topic of their choosing. To find all posts in 31 Days of Right Here, click here, or see the listing below.
To continue receiving these daily words, subscribe to this blog on the sidebar at left, click here to Like Draw Near on Facebook or follow me on Twitter @AshleyMLarkin. I am immensely grateful to share the journey with you.
POSTS IN THE SERIES
An introduction: Welcome to 31 Days of Right Here
Day 1: For You, Too
Day 2: Fear’s Invitation
Day 3: My Portion
Day 4: Five Minute Friday – Write
Day 5: Rise and Shine
Day 6: My Joys Mount As Do the Birds
Day 7: A Mother’s Fierce Love
Day 8: When Life’s A Mad Rush – How To Slow Time
Day 9: The Fight For Right Here Told Through Two Tales of Epic Whining (Part I)
Day 10: The Fight For Right Here Told Through Two Tales of Epic Whining (Part II)
Day 11: Five Minute Friday: Ordinary
Day 12: When Right Here’s A Mess
Day 13: O God, We Thank You
Day 14: The Date That Almost Wasn’t
Day 15: One Thing That Makes Us Human
Day 16: That We Might See And Remember
Day 17: In Which I Hit A Wall
Day 18: Five Minute Friday: Laundry
Day 19: When You Can’t Hold All The Moments
Day 20: Let Me Walk In Beauty
Day 21: Tend This Seed
Connecting through the power of stories written, spoken and lived
For what we see and tend increases…those words can live on their own, requiring little or no amplification, teaching us much of what it is we need to know about living a life. Let those words hang on our bathroom mirror, magnet-ed to our refrigerators, pinned to the doors where our children sleep. And on the insides of our own foreheads. We need that simple reminder of the tiny seed that grows into wondrous things when seen and tended. Beautiful post Ashley!
(And Sici Larkin’s photo is Beautiful!! Wonderful!!)
what a tender post…calming and true
cheers,
Leah
“For what we see and tend increases”, as always such beauty and truth.
I love this gentle reminder…thank you friend!
This is soul weepy. I am finding these last days, in my own strength, difficult. But in Him, in HIm alone, may we press on. We need to cheer at the end of 31 days and have a loud and raucous exhale. You are producing such amazing art. So proud of your strength. This is not for the faint of heart this writing challenge. well done good and faithful one.
Lovely, lovely . . . Photo, words of wisdom (I re-read the last paragraph over & over)