Spread By The Least Expected

        

https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/512070

 When my youngest son was in elementary school he was quick to share the Gospel with his peers and expected them to respect his feelings and his beliefs!  This doesn’t mean he expected them to necessarily agree with him, but was undaunted by those who did disagree with his views.   Holding fast to what he believed, he shared the message consistently.  When I was a young person, my sister and I, like my son, had zeal for sharing Christ, but I don’t believe my sister or I was as strong as my son.

         The bloodroot flower of the Great Smoky Mountains, with its white petals and gold center grows along waterways in forested areas.  The Native Americans used this relative from the poppy family, as a source for making red dye.  What I find most fascinating, however, is how the plant seeds are spread!  The seeds of the bloodroot are part of a soft structure, attracting ants.  The ants eat the tissue and add the seeds to their nest, where they are protected, germinated and grow! It seems so unlikely that this plant has the potential to spread, grow and thrive through something as lowly as the ant!

         Isn’t planting seeds of the Good News what we’ve been commanded to do?  My son shared the gospel despite the odds, teasing and tormenting he received.  The ants spread the seeds of this plant because they used it to line their nest!

         A special young lady, at the tender age of fourteen, just went to be with Jesus.  She suffered for many years with terminal brain cancer.  Despite her pain, she was funny and loving and more than anything, she loved The Lord.  She was quick to let her extended family know what was right and wrong according to her understanding of Jesus.  She memorized Bible scriptures and shared them with family and friends.  Her impact on the lives around her was astounding.  That was especially apparent at the memorial service for young Emma.  The church was running over with standing room only, with friends and family who wanted to show their last respects. 

         Have you ever thought about who will notice when you leave this life?  Have you ever wondered what people will remember about you?  What legacy will you leave?  I admit, I have.  In fact, as I sat in that sanctuary, I couldn’t help but wonder if I were to leave this life today, who would come?  Oh, I’m certain my family and probably some close friends, but what about people who scarcely knew me?  Have I made a Christian impression on others that people would recognize?  This fourteen year old girl certainly filled that criteria.  She made a difference in every life she touched.  She touched people because she loved with the love of God. 

         I challenge you to reflect on your life and ask yourself if people see God in your behaviors and through the words you say.  This is what God wants from us.  I know I want to spread God’s word like my young son or my young friend who just left this life.  I want to be like the ant that inadvertently spreads God’s message by the way I live my life and in the words I share.  I hope you do, too.