seeds

I was reading recently and the author brought up the idea of different ‘seeds’ being within us. Seeds of love, integrity, peace, joy, surrender, calm, faith, hope, forgiveness, etc. Unfortunately, there are seeds within us of another variety….seeds of jealousy, competition, greed, hatred, impatience, judgment, criticism, suspicion, unforgiveness, etc. I have them, you have them (and if you think you don’t you don’t you may have the seed of ‘delusion’!)
The ones that grow are the ones we water. If I have been offended by someone, I can sit and mull it over and over in my mind and build a case for why I can hold it against them. I am watering the seed of ‘ego’. Or - If I have been offended by someone, I can take a breath, offer it to God and consider that they may have had a bad day or perhaps I misread the comment. Then I am watering the seed of peace.
I am convinced that the initial incident that sets of the sprinkler system in my soul is of much smaller significance than the fire hydrant I open to water the seed. It, usually, isn’t my first inclination to water the good seeds. It seems only after I notice a young plant growing, a variety that won’t produce good fruit or flowers but thorns and thistles, that I try to begin shutting off the water source. I do that by sitting with God, noticing what is happening inside of me and asking Him why I feel this way and what would it look like to water those good seeds. Slowly, I can choke off the life supply to those negative seeds and water the seeds that sow peace.
Watering some seeds today? Which ones?
Grace and peace ~
Deb