The Little Seed

Waiting.  Silent.  Alone.  The little seed lies shivering quietly in my heart.  Day by day I wonder, I hope... will it ever grow?  Will the sun ever shine on me and cause my little seed to sprout?  Will gentle rains come to water the seed?  Or will this precious seed lie forever untouched, left to the barren place, never to show its beauty, never to show its value entrusted to it by the Maker?

I peer anxiously about for signs of life to nourish my seed, signs of beauty of the heart to encourage my seed to grow.  Dry dust stings my eyes. There is no rain. The dust chokes in my throat, and I despise its stench in my nose.  Thirsty... I'm always thirsty.  The little water that comes my way is rank, dirty.  How can my little seed grow?  Is that all that those in the world around me have to give out of their heart, nothing more than dirty, brackish water?  The murky water drips down my hand as I try to drink, choking on its bitter taste.

And little seed cries. 

Cutting words swirl around on a harsh wind, defying the seed even further... you are worthless...  you have no value...  you are such a burden.  Sometimes not even a word is spoken, but the message still chants endlessly, relentlessly in the despairing look of utter weariness, or in the flash of anger in the eyes.  I wince as I hear the wind scream my name, and say that my destiny is to forever stay hopeless... hopeless.  There will be no change, the words sneer, as they pierce my heart once again.

Tears silently leak down little seed's face.

Night comes.  I lie down on the bare ground.  Shivering.  Alone.  Is there no song to quiet my heart as I fall asleep?  No loving touch of the hand to brush my cheek?  No presence of love to make me feel safe?

Darkness deepens.  The air is thick, heavy, oppressive.  Then come the ugly voices, followed by the sound of a glass bottle shattering. I huddle further into the shadows, hoping to remain unseen for this night.

It is not to be.

Do not touch me, my heart cries out, and little seed covers its face in shame, anguish, despair.

Wiping my tears when we are again left alone, I turn my back, surrounded only by the darkness, and clutch little seed with a desperate fierceness.  Do not die, little seed.  You must live. 

I wait for the morning sunrise, longing to wake up to the someday of my dreams.  As I wait, I remember.

I remember the beauty of the touch of one...  the man who visited my village.  So clean!  his face... his hair... his clothes.  I stared in wonder as I joined with all the other bedraggled children pressed about him. His smile... I had never seen such beauty in a smile in all my life.  It drew my heart like a powerful magnet that I could not resist, that I did not want to resist.  And the light!  Where did the light in his eyes come from, as he looked into mine?  Like sunshine, the light beamed its beauty into my heart and touched little seed.

And little seed stirred.

Tenderly the man hugged each child in turn.  I had never felt such warmth flow from another before... did not know that it was possible.  He placed a hand gently on my head.  You are so beautiful! he said with a smile.  Little seed quivered with joy at his very breath.

Shall I live? wondered little seed.

I sigh at the memory, and fitfully, I fall asleep.

Morning comes.

Hunger wakens me yet again, like a harassing, ragged, unkempt dog.  The barest morsel is all I have to offer, and he sulks to a corner, glaring, whimpering, brooding.

I step out the door, and listen.  Voices.  There's something different in the voices today.  What is it?  I listen again. Something in the sound draws me to follow the path into the village.  Excitement is in the air.  Children running, jostling, crowding... I join them.

And then I see him.

Oh the light!  I look in his eyes, and am warmed by the light.  He smiles, and I drink in the liquid love that flows from his presence. He takes my hand, and draws me to sit with him.  Little seed's heart skips a beat with amazement.

He hands me a paper.  Such a beautiful paper like none I have ever seen.  Such pretty designs.  But the picture!  I gasp with wonder at the eyes of the one in the picture, of her smile.  So much like the man's eyes and smile.  This person has love flowing right from her picture on the page into my heart. 

Who is this?  I ask.

This is your advocate... champion... sponsor... friend, he smiles.  And he reads me the message.

Dear child, I am so full of joy to be your sponsor!  You are like a precious gift, and I love you already.  I'm sitting here looking at your picture, and it's like I'm holding your face tenderly between my hands, gazing into your eyes.  You are so beautiful to me.  I can hardly wait to get to know you, and be friends with you.  Child, do you know what a valuable treasure you are?  I have so much to tell you about this!

As the words sing to me, little seed sits up, drinking in the pure water. Love pours into my heart, and warms me.  Little seed closes its eyes, listening to the pulsing heartbeat of the song, feeling the light, and suddenly a little sprout emerges from little seed.

It startles me.  I look at little seed with wonder.  It's someday, says little seed.  And I nod my head in agreement.  Yes, someday has come.


The man holds my hand, and leads me into a beautiful room.  Children crowd together, giggling and laughing, and the very air around me breathes with anticipation and joy.

The fragrance of freshly baked bread fills the air.  I have never smelled such an aroma like this.  A plate heaping with warm bread is set before me.  Eat as much as you want, the man says.  There is always fresh bread here, a gift from your sponsor, and there will always be fresh bread for you to take home with you.

I take a bite.  I have never tasted such bread as this before.  I eat until I am filled. The delicious taste lingers long after I have finished, like a new friend holding my hand.  Little seed nods at me, and I grin with delight as the first true  leaves appear.

A pitcher of water is set before me... pure, clean, sparkling.  Living water, the man says, living water for you.  Drink all that you want.  There will always be living water here for you to drink.  I take a sip.  I have never tasted such water like this.  It's sweet water.  I drink deeply.  And it satisfies like no water I have ever had.

And the light... so much light in this place!  As the light fills my heart, the darkness leaves.  Little seed hugs my heart, and the sprout inches up taller.


Day after day I come to this place, eat of the fresh bread, drink of the living water, bask in the sunlight.  I am growing in the blessings given here, and in the love and provision faithfully and extravagantly given from my sponsor.  I have armfuls of treasured letters from her, my precious friend, and her words speak life, blessing and honor into the very core of my being, the home of little seed.  She says I am royalty...  a valuable treasure...  made in the image of God. She says that I have been given valuable gifts to develop and use, and I have hope, an awesome destiny and a beautiful future.

Day by day I discover that the words are true, and little seed grows stronger and taller.  Its roots grow deep.

I have learned to sing in this place as love has sung its song to me.  Little seed and I sing together our lifesong every day, because I am a person of value and worth, created to love God and worship Him.  I am gifted, blessed and loved.  Little seed has grown so tall, so beautiful, and good fruit grows on its stems. Everyday I eat of the sweet fruit, and have abundance to share with others.  I carry a piece of fresh bread with me everywhere to share with the hungry.  When a thirsty one comes to my door, I bring a cup of living, sweet water.  Joy bubbles out of my heart, and as I smile and stop to touch the head of a small child, I see the little seed in her heart... quivering... waiting... longing to sprout and grow. 

It will.  Someday has come for this little one.

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Little Seed is my story of one child being lifted from the despairing place not only of hopeless physical poverty, but poverty of the soul, not being treasured and valued.  She is brought into the love of God where her little seed thrives and grows with the reality that she is a person of value and worth.  Her life is radically changed by people living out of the overflow of the love of Jesus to give and invest in her, and she in turn begins to nurture the little seed in the lives of others.  

Do you have fresh Bread to give?  Do you have Living Water to share?  There's a little seed waiting to be nurtured by you.  Tell her that someday has come.