Because I work with middle and high school students, there are frequent opportunities to sow seeds in these young lives. A trusted volunteer in our youth ministry advised me a long time ago to keep this perspective: I am a seed planter.

And he {Jesus} told them many things in parables saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately the sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.”

Matthew 13:1-9 ESV

A couple of weeks ago, a young lady asked for prayer and of course we prayed together. In the follow-up texts, she shared a few challenges and I shared a few ways to fight the challenges. One way is to number our gifts in each day. Of course this isn’t my original idea, but it has served me well since 2012 and I LOVED reading One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are by Ann Voskamp which covers this very subject.

Some of my numbered gifts from today:
#888 Teaching a student the SOAP Bible study method and numbering gifts before her high school day began.
#889 The entire YCI Club coming forward to lay hands on the seniors in prayer.
#890 A beautiful orange sunshine in the sky early this morning.
#891 Forgiveness.
#892 Solid endings and the promise of new beginnings.

My recent days included a flooded kitchen floor, no wi-fi for 3 days, and our clothes washer breaking down for the last time while loaded with laundry. The kitchen table and chairs are heaped with the daughter’s wedding preparations and cards for a record number of high school graduation parties clutter the bar. At times like this, we need numbered gifts! A lot of them actually.

O give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the people! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!

Psalm 105:1-2

As I reflect on all that is entrusted to me, I can’t help but be thankful:
#893 Available funds to pay for a new washer.
#894 My husband will attempt to fix anything and is successful nearly every time.
#895 The customer service rep who finally fixed the wi-fi.
#896 Realizing my first-world problems are really no problem at all.
#897 Knowing God made us for much more than this!

So today, I think about those kids at our high school this morning. Some may have never even been to a church. They were invited to come up if they wanted to pray over the graduating seniors. And every single one did. Isn’t that amazing? Our God is a great big God. {Afterward I wished I had a pic of all of them praying, but who can take a pic at a time like this?}

God allows us opportunities to plant seeds. He makes the seeds grow. Let’s grab our watering can and go encourage the planted seeds or nourish the soil of the ones we are about to plant! You are a seed planter, too.