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I learned this morning that my paternal grandmother passed away in the early hours of the day. It was not entirely unexpected as her health had been waning in the past weeks. My mind is flooded with memories, buried treasures from the past that seem to become unearthed in moments like these. It is bittersweet. My ‘Nana’ will be missed but is now fully healthy and whole in the presence of The One who formed her in her mother’s womb. There is much comfort in that. The resurrection power of Jesus is never more appreciated then at the death of a loved one, or at the death of a dream. God’s Word reminds us, for those who believe in Jesus, we are not without hope. We have the ability, by His Spirit, to see such events as plantings and not deaths, investments and not burials.
Jesus said in John 12 that “…unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” Jesus was speaking of His own death, burial and resurrection that was to come but because of that gift He gave to all of us it is the same hope we can hold to. It has been said that the Kingdom of God is a backwards, upside-down Kingdom. In God’s economy the first is last and the last is first, the servant is the greatest, not the least and in order to receive true life you give yours away. It is true that these concepts are very much the opposite of what this world teaches. However, this world is also reeling with pain and uncertainty, fear and despair. I would suggest the way of the world has not and is not working. I prefer to follow a better way.
There are many situations in life where we are faced with the dilemma of letting go that in the moment may seem like loss. However, we can choose to plant those people and dreams in the fertile soil of God’s hope and trust that He will take, what seems to be a loss, and turn it into an ‘oak of righteousness, a planting of the Lord’ (Is 61:3). A seed is an amazing thing. How many apple orchards are inside that small apple seed? You will never know until you experience the ‘loss’ of putting that seed in the ground, trusting that all the potential that was in that seed will be realized in the presence of the Lord who brings beauty out of ashes. I have always enjoyed eating sunflowers seeds. But as good as they are, with every bite I could have had a sunflower plant with many more seeds! The question is are we willing to allow our immediate desires to be planted in the ground so that more than we ever dreamed can grow and flourish?
Just because the funeral has already taken place or the ‘out of business’ sign is on the door doesn’t mean you have to let your dream die; the dream can be very much alive when it is planted! You may be blown away at the fruit that shows up in areas you never expected when you release it to the Lord. Is the dream dead, is the story over, is the hope lost? That all depends on if you decide it is dead and buried or if it is simply planted and growing. Plant it, by faith, into God’s goodness and be amazed at the fruit that springs up in places you never dreamed. This need not be the end. It can be a new and glorious beginning.
Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. – John 12:23-24 NIV
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. – I Thessalonians 4:13 NIV
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, 21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. – Ephesians 3:20-21 KJV
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