Growing Faith is the Fruit for Harvest

Mark 4:26-29. The Seed is the Word. It is sown in our hearts. What does the Seed/Word produce? It produces Faith. "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word". When the Word is sown in our hearts (if it is the good ground from the previous parable), Faith will sprout and grow and we don't know how because it yields by itself. Faith doesn't grow because we memorize scripture and "chant" it over and over. Our "works" doesn't make Faith grow. God's Word produces Faith by itself. We don't know how.

Subsequently when Faith has grown to maturity can it be harvested? Yes, because it is now useful for all kinds of things. Useful how? What does Faith do when it is mature and useful? It changes the world around us and moves mountains. Just as Jesus did in His ministry. Faith heals, raises the dead and provides for any need (i.e. feeding the 5000). Imagine the whole community of God's children around the world (the Kingdom) each with their maximum of mature Faith. What would happen? It would be "on earth as it is in Heaven". But not everyone grows the maximum Faith by our choice. Some 30, some 60 and some 100 fold. Or could the maximum for each of us just be different according to our various abilities and gifts?
Instead of interpreting this verse as being something about proselytizing unbelievers as much as we can, what if Jesus is telling us to focus on being the good ground that the Word can produce in? What if we have been doing it all wrong? 

But rather what if we are supposed to be that good ground and let the Word grow inside of us this kind of Faith . . . and THEN we will have the kind of fruit/branches (remember the mustard seed producing an herb so tall that birds can find shade in the branches) that will feed, heal and provide for everyone else. Regardless of the amount of Faith produced in us, wouldn't we be more useful as "Jesus with skin" if we were mature in our Faith?
How would we know when it's mature? That's easy. We can see the results. We can see the blade, then the head, and then the full grain in the head. When we are consistently moving mountains - wha la - it's time! We need to start harvesting our Faith - feeding the world, healing the world, changing the world - literally.

20 years with him?

I'm serious!  How did we stumble upon 20 years together?  I can see.  I can remember.  I can shake my head in amazement and wonder.  How?  We, two, of all the matches made in the world are so opposite in taste, temperament, and background.  We only came together the same way anyone does.  Something "zinged".

But was it the stuff 20 years is made of?  Heck no! I remember turmoil and crisis' we caused each other. I remember hateful words, cruel actions, betrayals, and disrespect. I remember them all in full color, clearly and in detail. Every one was a moment of regret, or hate, or disillusionment.

People don't hold on when the earth rocks and rolls and the waves splash over the sides and the boulders rip holes in the deck causing sewage to spill onto the planks.  People don't lash themselves to each other regardless of the tempest.

People bail.  Most do.  Just a slight glance around and that's all too obvious.  And we weren't any different.  We definitely did NOT have stamina or perseverance or the "lashed to each other" kind of loyalty.  Nope.  Not at all.  We had many bags packed and boxes stashed through the years.  There were several slammed doors and lonely nights.  And barrels and barrels of tears; and utter shock that we could be living such a nightmare. 

 
But You were right there in the middle of it all.  Weren't you?  Now I see it.  Strange how I couldn't see it then.  You were standing there, tall and strong and . . . watching.  And You would touch my cheek, or caress his hand.  You would whisper calm words.  I remember slightly hearing them and tossing them aside.  You held out your hands to show us your palms and remind us of the results of hate and disrespect and closed hearts. And I remembered wondering why You wanted me to suffer like You did.  I remember screaming at you in anger that you didn't make it stop.  I remember blaming you for not giving me the desires of my heart.

Oh my those were tumultuous years.  And they seemed to last so very long.  But that's not Your fault.  I know that now.

You were in the process of giving me the desires of my heart, but the clay that we were had to be broken and crushed.  We weren't fit vessels.  There were too many flaws.  So, You did everything to keep us from completely destroying each other.  You slipped in a step here and a turn there when we least expected it.  And as our heads reeled in the storms, you used the water to wash away the debris.  And you used the rocks to chink away the hardness.  You used everything that crashed against us.  You even used each of us.

And I can see the plan now.  It was a marvelously amazing plan.  But it absolutely boggles my mind that we made it to where we are.  This plan of Yours was so completely fantastic in the scheme of who we were.  And the fact that somehow You were able to keep us in the battle and yet without destruction.

We don't have a secret for being married 20 years.  There is only one thing that did this. 
It was You - God, my God.  My amazing God.  I see those moments when all was lost and hope was gone and I can see Your hand sliding the tiniest, sliver of a stepping stone quickly under one of us as our foot came down.  I can see it in hindsight.  All those times this ship should have crashed in those waves and on those boulders.  But You used every moment, every fiber of our engagement with each other. 

And from it you created the desire of my heart.  Love.  And I am humbled by the breathtaking beauty of it.  I am overwhelmed that I live in this Love.  It fills me to the brim and splashes over the edges, and glimmers in the waves as You shine inside of us.