Planting Seeds

“But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.” (Galatians 6:8, NLT)

Have you ever wondered how fish get into a new pond? They can’t walk or fly there. There’s no connecting water source. So how do they appear?

Early evolutionists thought fish must have evolved from bacteria. But then it was discovered that birds were the real culprit. Water fowl like ducks and cranes visited water with fish, and as they traveled through the water, fish eggs and tadpoles stuck to their legs and feathers. So when they landed in a fresh body of water, the tiny animals washed off and grew up there.

Plant seeds are transported in a similar way. Animals brush against mature plants, and the seeds cling to their fur. Then the seeds fall off in other places.

These processes remind me of how we pass thoughts and ideas down to our kids and stepkids. We don’t always get the chance to have a close relationship with the children we raise, especially stepkids. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have an influence.

If you have a rocky relationship with your stepchildren, you might worry that the only influence you’ve had has been damage. But those children have been in your home, listening to your stories, observing your character. All those seeds have begun clinging to their hearts.

One day those children will grow up. They will have their own spouses and children. And they will have to face their own challenges and choices along life’s rocky pathways. That’s when all those clinging traits will drop off and begin to impact their own lives.

I once heard a stepmom share the story of the relationship with her teenage stepdaughter. There was a lot of bitterness and disrespect from this young girl. The woman wondered if there would ever be a kind word spoken between them.

Then the young girl grew up. She became a wife and a mother. And one Christmas, her stepmom got a card expressing how she had been watching the relationship between the woman and her dad all these years. Their marriage had been the inspiration for her own. She could see the difference in her biological mom and stepdad’s relationship compared to the one she saw with her dad and stepmom. And it was clear which wife she wanted to be like—her stepmom.

When you feel like nothing good is coming from your relationship with your stepkids, don’t forget there’s still a lot of life yet to come. It may take a while, but the chances are good that you’ll get to see some fish in that new pond.

Prayer: Lord, when I get discouraged, remind me that even though I can’t see any good right now, there is the potential for good to appear down the road.