Sowing Seeds

¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷ For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.  Matthew 13:16-17  NIV

A few weeks ago, I took a cue from the Parable of the Sower and scattered a few seeds. My younger brother, who doesn't believe in Christ, agreed to join me at our church staff picnic. I had promised him lunch and a paddle boat ride, as well as an opportunity to meet some of my new friends & co-workers at the church. I also promised him this would not be like the last time he & I were at a church together. We had gone to a small house church for a photo shoot but found upon arriving that we were expected to fully participate in a lengthy, very enthusiastic and hands-on Baptist service.  I loved it but the look on my brother's face as he sang hymns & was then hugged repeatedly by several large and amazingly loving "church mommas" was priceless.  His expression told me I owed him big.

However, when I asked him to join me at the picnic, he agreed readily enough and over the following week, really seemed to look forward to it. Prior to this, his only exposure to my church had been during my baptism service a couple years before. I was eager to see he had a good time and hoped there might be a chance to connect him with some of the wonderful, God-fearing folks we have on-staff.

The morning of the picnic, I was pretty nervous. I prayed ardently for my brother's heart and eyes to be open to the genuineness he would meet in my fellow Christ-followers. I prayed too, that God would orchestrate introductions & conversations that might peek his curiosity about our church & what a life of faith looks like. Of course, I needn't have feared. God already had it all covered.

Soon after we arrived and explored the lovely riverside park, we grabbed lunch and found ourselves sitting down across from the pastor who heads up our international outreach ministry. It was definitely a God moment. This pastor is a particular favorite of mine. When speaking to him, I'm always struck by the way his obvious passion for helping those in need around the world is wrapped in a deep & abidingly peaceful demeanor. We fell into easy conversation and I could see my brother connecting with this man and taking in the way he conducted himself.

Later, on the much-anticipated paddle boat ride, we had two more wonderful conversations with the church's adult ministries pastor and then the CFO. Both men spoke of the mission trips they've participated in around the world and how their faith has been changed by those experiences.  Both explained how they were called into ministry and how their journeys brought them to this particular church. It was fascinating to hear their stories and see how open & unguarded they were in sharing them. I could see my brother measuring what they said and how seriously they took their faith. All of these men had taken a leap of faith (usually more than one) and changed the direction of their lives & families in order to use their gifts to serve others. I couldn't have asked for better witnesses to what Christ can do with a life.

So, after a paddle boat ride full of deep conversations, we popped over to the park's mini golf course and putted through a round, negotiating crazy-goofy obstacles and just having a good time. On the way out of the park, my brother turned to me and thanked me for inviting him.  He said he had a great time. Those were the best words I heard all day.  

I'm not sure how deep an impact this experience will have on my brother's perception of God or faith. (We never do know which seeds we've sown will take root, do we?) But I pray this will open the door to more experiences and more conversations where God's presence becomes tangible to him. I'm so grateful to belong to a body of believers who do the work and live what they preach. Their example shapes my walk every day.  And to be able to bring my brother to them, knowing they will welcome him and love him openly and well is priceless.   

²³ But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  Matthew 13:23 NIV