The Parable of the Sower
By Senior Chaplain Mike Wilhelm
In spring, I’m sure many folks think of Jesus’ Parable of the Sower from Matthew 13.
As you might recall, a man goes out to sow seed. Some of the seed lands on the path, and the birds eat it. Some of the seed lands on rocky ground where it can’t flourish. Some of the seed falls among weeds, which choke the seed. And some of the seed lands on good ground, where it yields a good harvest.
Sowing is different from planting. Planting assigns a specific seed to a specific hole. It is a fairly precise and controlled process. Sowing, on the other hand, takes a fistful of seed and entrusts it to the gentle spring breeze. Where a seed lands and how it might grow is much more a mystery.
That’s what we’re doing at Boys Ranch — broadcasting seed and accepting the mystery. This is clearly God’s work. The children come to us from many different backgrounds. Many have experiences that have made them slow to trust.
The Season to Broadcast Seeds of Faith
A few years ago, a chapel intern spent many months developing a beautiful relationship with one particular girl. They shared life together: taking evening walks, telling silly jokes and caring for the girl’s FFA project pig.
When the girl decided to leave Boys Ranch just a few months before she would have graduated, the intern was devastated, wondering what had happened.
The girl had houseparents who loved her, a caseworker who loved her, caring teachers who helped her, plus a loving chapel intern who prayed for her every day. Why wouldn’t the girl stay? Why wouldn’t she graduate? What had gone wrong?
I suppose it’s important to remember that we’re sowing, not planting. This is not a precise and controlled affair.
We can’t make children believe what we believe. We simply love them while we can, as best we can. It’s our season to broadcast seeds of faith.
That girl’s story isn’t finished yet. So in the meantime, we accept the mystery of the gentle spring breeze and rejoice in God’s work.