I got a very big jolt last Sunday in church.
You see, the biblical reading was a well-known parable featuring spiritual harvests of various kinds.
In the story, some seeds fall on rocks and thorns and produce nothing, while others land on rich soil and bear abundantly.
Like many Christians, I always wonder just where I fall in that parable.
The seeds, of course, are the word of God, and the various places they land represent our attitudes.
Many years ago, when I heard anything from the Bible, I just gritted my teeth and turned away. Clearly my heart was made of stone.
These days, however, my ears perk up whenever scripture is read, so it would be tempting to conclude, somewhat smugly, that I’ve moved into a new category.
It would be extremely easy to say, “Well, when it comes to faith, I’m good to go!”
But then, as my husband and I entered the line going up to Communion, I saw a spiritual harvest that put mine to shame.
I suddenly noticed that the family ahead of us included a special-needs baby, whom the couple had adopted a few years ago.
This is the kind of baby that many people would never have welcomed, since she requires so much care.
But this husband and wife, who have other children -- also adopted -- tend to her every need and give her more love than is imaginable.
I realized it’s dangerous to assume that your faith is producing an abundant harvest, when in fact it may be stuck in neutral.
And perhaps God gives us glimpses of people like this family to remind us there is always room to improve.
True, two gardens with fine soil may bear fruit after seeds are planted.
But if you’ve ever done gardening in the real world, you know there’s a big difference between, say, a bumper crop of juicy, fat tomatoes and a puny harvest of maybe six or seven tiny things that could be called tomatoes -- but only if you’re feeling really generous.
In short, there are people who take the word of God so seriously that they are willing to make stunning sacrifices to live out the Christian message of love – and there are others whose hearts still have room to grow.
As someone who falls in the latter category, I’m grateful whenever I encounter people who have tilled the soil of their faith with every ounce of their strength.
Last Sunday, as I saw the couple caring for that little girl, I envisioned a glorious garden overflowing with every imaginable fruit and vegetable.
That vision gave me hope that with God’s grace my little patch of earth one day will burgeon into something truly wonderful in his eyes.
Lorraine's most recent books include a biography of Flannery O'Connor, "The Abbess of Andalusia," and two mysteries, "Death in the Choir" and "Death of a Liturgist." Her e-mail address is lorrainevmurray@yahoo.com
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