By QuaWanna Bannarbie

Riddle me this. What living thing lay sleeping when it is in your hands but awakens in its own bed? Take a guess. If you guessed a baby, you are pretty close. I am talking about a seed.

Seeds are fascinating. As I watch my garden continue to grow and produce, I stand in awe at the greatness of such a small specimen. In my hands, it is a dormant representation of life. Yet, when it is nurtured and receives what it needs for maturity, it grows and grows. Sometimes, my garden surpasses even what I could have imagined for the seeds I planted.

Unlike any season that I have ever experienced before, I am observing the perennial cycle of plants that have regrown from last season in a spectacular fashion. The funny thing is, I had no idea that those seeds were perennial in nature when I sowed them. In fact, I am laughing about it because I purchased the packets of marigold seeds from Dollar Tree. I guess a dollar really does go a long way. I was not expecting these plants to come back this year. Yet, they did, and they are nearly 13 inches in diameter now. That just makes me stop and think about all that is encompassed in the seed before it is sown into the earth. We have no idea of the fruit, the harvest or the outcome of it until the seed is sown. In our hands, it sleeps. In its own bed, it awakens.

I have been studying and thinking about seeds lately. Everything starts with a seed. Life, ideas, careers and futures all begin because of the seed. The Bible uses many examples of the symbolism of “the seed of faith” throughout the scriptures. Many people are most familiar with the teaching on the mustard seed from Luke 17:6, which explains to us that God can do much with a little faith. My marigolds demonstrate that so much is possible with even a little seed, and a little seed can bring about fruit that comes back or persists for many growing seasons.

Over the next three weeks, I want to share a series about the seed. This column will feature an article about the potential of the seed, the provision for the seed and the purpose of the seed. Maybe not in that exact order but those will be the focus topics for our reflection. I promise this is not a solicitation for monetary giving as is often thought when you hear a message about seeds as it relates to faith. Think of it more as a call to action for getting seeds out of your hands and into the gardens, where they will awaken to a world of limitless possibilities.

QuaWanna Bannarbie is an adjunct professor of Nonprofit Leadership and Management with Indiana Wesleyan University, National and Global. Her children attend Suffolk Public Schools. Connect with her via Twitter @QNikki_Notes.