Seeds of Hope

“ I have nothing in my own self and yet I have it ALL in Christ. Can God use a life that has made so many mistakes, has fumbled so many times and has been such a disappointment to myself and others?  I believe so…humbly, humbly recognizing that I am but a vapor and yet God can use me to plant a seed of hope into the heart of someone searching for the Truth.”  I wrote this on a piece of paper and stuck it in my Bible a while ago.  I found it yesterday and it started a flood of memories…

I cannot remember her name; only that she was a neighbor that lived up the street.  She would see me sitting on my porch and would stop by and somehow the conversation always got around to her past life.  She would openly share how she was a bad mother, going out late at night, partying all the time, neglecting her family, until one day God came into her life, changing her, making her the person that she really wanted to be.  I remember listening, but thinking “I’m not such a bad person as she was.”  But deep down inside, I was hurting, and needed a Savior, someone to love me through all my mistakes, heartache and secret shame.

The seeds of hope were planted in me through that woman being so transparent with me so long ago; and even though I did not get it then, a short while later when I was at the end of my rope, her words came back to me crystal clear, “Jesus saved my life”.  I wonder sometimes how she is and if she knew that what she was telling me would one day change my life forever. In  the book of  First Corinthians 3:7-8 Paul talks about how one person plants, another will water, but it is God who actually gives the increase.  Each of us have a very important job to do, we may never see with our own eyes the fruits of our labors and really we should not look for a reward here on earth for any good we may have done, but we must be faithful to do what we are called to do.

To plant seeds of hope may not be as big as your dreams but if you are faithful it will give an increase down the road.  Because someone planted hope into my neighbor years ago, she planted in me, bringing an increase in my family, so that now I see that increase in my grandchildren…

What about the person that planted seeds of hope into Billy Graham…and now millions of people have been planted with seeds of hope and it continues…

To my neighbor, wherever you are now dear lady, thank you for being faithful and obedient to share your story of hope to me on that North Philadelphia porch that day. I may not see you again on this earth, but somehow I pray that God will let you know that the seed you planted in me was good seed and it not only saved my life, but the lives of my husband, son, relatives; opportunity to plant seeds of hope to many in the prison systems of New Jersey that we visited for 18 years; through song to many and hopefully many more to come.  Even though we may plant and others water, it is God Almighty that ultimately gives the increase…all praise and Glory to Him!