Friends of Faith:
So, I haven’t sent out a writing in sometime,
but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t written, or that I haven’t thought about
what to write.
Generally, standing in the shower on Monday
morning the Holy Spirit is whispering a little “title” in my heart – saying
listen to me.
This morning for some reason I realized that
as frustrated as I am with those who don’t see and don’t understand, for
whatever reason when I am that person, or when I am the person who is seeing
& understanding, but not being, acting or doing, then I am no better than
those I am frustrated with.
So, hence this writing, based on this
parable:
“A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it
up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little
soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed
fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty
or thirtyfold. Whoever has
ears ought to hear.”
The disciples
approached him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” He said to them in reply, “Because
knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you,
but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given* and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even
what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because ‘they look but do not see
and hear but do not listen or understand.’ ….
Isaiah’s prophecy is
fulfilled in them, which says:
‘You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never
see.
Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their
ears and understand with their heart and be converted, and I heal them.’
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they
hear. Amen, I say to
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.
“Hear then the parable of the sower. The seed
sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without
understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his
heart.
The seed
sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with
joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately
falls away.
The seed
sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and
the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who
hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred
or sixty or thirtyfold.” Mt 13: 1-23
These are the questions I heard this morning in the shower: “Do
you understand? Are you acting on what you understand? Do you know why you are
acting? Or are you falling on rocky ground or among the thorns and failing to
act, or intentionally choosing not to act?” And maybe the most important
question I heard: “Are you willing to seek answers, listen to, and act upon the
suggestions that the Holy Spirit is placing in your heart?”
So, who’s patience am I testing by my action or inaction?
And if it is my patience that is being tested, am I doing all that I can by
stepping outside of my comfort zone to seek and to understand?
May you find it in your heart to be all that you can be by
using all the gifts that God has given you.
Blessings,
Charlotte
