I have finally stepped back into the joy of writing novel #3 in my Catalpa Creek series. Writing stories is fun. This third novel is based on love and acceptance just like “Fireweed” and “To Begin Again”.
Too often our natural desire to love and accept someone feels easy at first – just the right thing to do. Of course, we want to respond to someone in need with love. After all, as Christians that’s what we’ve been taught since childhood. Whether or not we recognize the existence of God, I believe that God’s Spirit, living within each and every human being, pushes, guides, leads us towards love and acceptance but never forcing us.
Being accepting, loving, generous isn’t easy. We have questions. Society teaches scarcity. Will we have enough for ourselves? We judge. Does this person really deserve our generosity, love, forgiveness? Is he just lazy? Does she really want to work? Will he spend my gift on drugs and alcohol? Will they take advantage of my good will? Maybe we’ve been burned before. Is this a scam? We face the criticism of others. “Why waste your money or energy? Aren’t you afraid of these street people? Their words colour our thoughts. Even when we succeed in giving of ourselves, we seldom see the harvest.
As a writer who has sold thousands of books, I know the blessing of touching people’s hearts more than most. Each time someone sends me an email, or stands at my book table and says, “Thank you so much for your book. It was just what I needed.” Those occasional times, when we are gifted with seeing God’s harvest from our sharing, are precious.
As Jesus tells us in his story about the sewer of seed and the kinds of soil it lands in, it is God’s harvest not ours. Today I’m grateful that God has drawn me back to my writing calling. I’m at it again. Whatever comes. Wherever this seed lands is God’s responsibility. My job is to scatter.
Whatever our calling in life, there will always be the opportunity to scatter seeds of love, acceptance and kindness. A harvest of one is of equal value to an entire field. Without out the sewing there can be no harvest.
The Sower and the Seed
“Jesus taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”
9 Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” (Mark 4: 2-9)