Currently Reading The Carrot Seed Board Book By Ruth Krauss see related

I read a book on discipleship today. Just a few minutes ago, actually. It’s called the Carrot Seed. It’s a pretty easy read – only 25 pages and half of those are pictures. Ruth Krauss wrote it in 1945 and basically put out a classic with exactly 100 words. That’s weird. I wonder if she planned that?

Anyway, an unnamed boy plants a carrot seed. And if you’ve ever planted a carrot seed you understand the drama. Like the boy you probably looked everyday to see if anything was happening. He kept looking and nothing seemed to happen and to add to his angst he has a really negative family. First his mom says that she doesn’t think anything will grow from that little seed. Then his pipe-smoking dad says the same thing. And to make matters worse his big brother just flat out says, “It won’t come up.”

But, this kid in the onesy-style overalls doesn’t care what his nay-saying relatives say. He keeps looking at the dirt above the seed. He weeds it. He sprinkles water. And then I’ll warn you, the story begins to drag a bit because for four pages nothing comes up and his “the-glass-is half-empty” clan gangs up to tell him all at once to give it up because that seed isn’t going to produce anything. But, the kid keeps tending to his seed and watching the ground – every single day.

And wouldn’t you know it – one day dirt starts to fly above the seed and then a huge carrot comes up. Now this is when it gets crazy – the carrot fills up a wheel barrow and the kid pushes it off to….well, I don’t know where but Mrs. Krauss tells us that he knew all along it would grow. I guess that’s why he had the wheelbarrow ready – he knew that seed would grow, he knew he’d get a big ‘ol carrot after planting and tending and watering.

Currently Reading The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language By Eugene H. Peterson see related

“Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you’ll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you’re content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty.”

(Matthew 18)
Faith. The mustard seed kind.

I always think about the mountain – the one you can move with the faith of a mustard seed. But, every time I think of Jesus saying this I picture myself trying to pull off something like Bewitched or Harry Potter. I stare at that mountain and I close my eyes and I wrinkle up my face and I try to conjure up all the faith I can to move it. Or, like Harry with a wand, I open my hands toward that mountain and I command with all that is in me, “Mountain, move. Move. MOVE. MOOOOVE.”

 But, it’s not a story about a mountain moving. It’s a story to make a point about faith. Mustard seed kind of faith. Itty-bitty faith. That’s it. That’s all you need. What Jesus seems to be saying is that it doesn’t take much.

Faith.

I’ve found myself praying this prayer a lot lately, “Jesus, You are the author and perfector of my faith. Please, perfect my faith. Please.”