The sunflowers are done. Their brief lifespan is over. Hubby and I will now till them back into the soil of the garden where they will dissolve away.
This is what our life is like.
Our life is just a brief moment in time … then it is over.
The sunflowers produced a beautiful bountiful harvest during their lifespan. I shared a few blog posts ago how the sunflower seeds have provided abundant food for the little chipmunk (and also the birds too!).
As I shared before: here are the two sunflower heads I set aside for myself.
I shelled out all the seeds from the sunflower heads, then let them dry in metal pans in the window for several weeks.
When I shelled the seeds out of the sunflower heads, a lot of random flower-debris wound up in the metal pans along with the seeds.
So, I needed to separate out the seeds from the random flower-debris.
Here you can see me separating out the sunflower seeds.
As you will notice, there are two different types of sunflower seeds … light grey seeds and dark black seeds. I separated the light grey seeds into one pile … the dark black seeds into another pile … and the random debris into a pile to be thrown away.
In our life, we feel a lot of pressure to compare ourselves to other people. But when our life is over with, and all is said and done … God will separate out the “harvest” of our life into its own separate pile.
It doesn’t matter what the light grey seeds did … the dark black seeds are being separated out into their own specific pile, and their “harvest” of food will be based on what they did.
So also, when our life is over and God separates out the “harvest” of spiritual food from our life … it won’t matter what that other person did. The “harvest” of your life will be based on what you did with the time God gave you. And the “harvest” of my life will be based on what I did with the time God gave me.
Don’t live your life comparing yourself to other people. In the end, when your life is over, comparison won’t matter. What you did with the life God gave you will be separated out into its own pile … to be measured by God Himself.
Here you can see the discard pile of random flower-debris.
Along with the random flower-debris were shriveled sunflower seeds which didn’t fully form. They are empty, and worthless … without any kernel of food in the middle.
This same thing will happen when our life is over and all is said and done. God will sift through the “harvest” of righteousness we produced. Whatever is good He will set aside in a “keep” pile … and whatever is empty and worthless He will discard.
* All those “good things” we did with wrong motives … those “seeds” will be thrown away!
* All those “good things” we did to put on pretenses to act like we were something which we really weren’t … those “seeds” will be thrown away!
* All that pride camouflaged behind a “perfect” religious exterior … all of that will be thrown away!
* All that bitterness and unforgiveness tucked away deep within … all of that will be separated out and thrown away!
And in the end … what will be left??
When God sifts through the “harvest” of your life, what will be left?
Will there be a bowl full of delicious “seeds” of righteousness to show as a result of the time God gave you on earth?
Or will most of the “harvest” of your life wind up in the discard pile because it’s empty and worthless?
Here you can see the sorted sunflower seeds. As you look at the photo, notice that the distance is foggy.
This is what it is like as we produce “seeds” of righteousness … then give our “harvest” into the hands of God to use to “feed” those who are “hungry.”
Life is “foggy.” We produce a “harvest” with the time we are given here on this earth, but we can’t see what God is doing/going to do with that “harvest.”
Sometimes we wonder: Does it matter at all?? God, I’m producing a “harvest” … but does any of this matter at all??
We can’t see into the foggy distance of the future. We have no idea how God might use those “seeds” to further His Kingdom. This is where faith comes in to play.
* God might use our “seeds” of righteousness to “feed” someone nearby, right now. Like the sunflower seeds are feeding the little chipmunk right here in my forest, right now.
* God might also use our “seeds” of righteousness to “feed” someone far away. Like the sunflower seeds have fed the birds who come from far away and fly off to far-away places.
* God might use our “seeds” of righteousness to “feed” someone in the future. Like the sunflower seeds are future food for the little chipmunk this coming winter.
* We do not know the needs people have in their life. We do not know when someone is desperately “hungry” for love. But God does. And God can use the “seeds” from our life to “feed” someone with His love!
* We do not know when someone is beaten down and discouraged and desperately “hungry” for encouragement. But God does. And God can use the “seeds” from our life to “feed” someone with His encouragement!
* We do not know when someone is struggling with anxiety and overwhelming fear .. and desperately “hungry” for peace. But God does. And God can use the “seeds” from our life to “feed” someone with His peace!
What “harvest” is being produced through your life?
When all is said and done, and your life is over … will you have a bowl full of “seeds” of righteousness which God can use to further His Kingdom?
Or will most of the “seeds” of your life wind up in the discard pile to be thrown away?
