Parable of the Sower
Last week, Sofia mentioned the parable of the sower. Let me re-tell it in light of Valentine’s Day.
There was a man who wanted love. So he prayed for love.
God made him see inside of his own heart. He saw his heart as a field. God said, if you want love, I will plant it here like a seed inside your heart. If you plant a happy seed, it will grow a happy crop. If you plant a sad seed, it will grow a sad crop. Choose carefully, which seed you plant.
But even more carefully, the soil you plant it in— which is your heart.
A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among the thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop, a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
—Matthew 13:3-9
Rocks
So the man, whom I will call the lover— looks into his heart and notices that there are a lot of rocks. He says to himself, if I plant a seed of love here—the rocks will choke my seed and it will never grow.
What are the rocks inside your heart that keep love from growing? Rocks are anything that make you think that you’re not lovable. Like, I’m too old. I have cancer. I’m a single mom. What are the excuses you tell yourself of why you’re not lovable?
Please write that in your journal, now.
If you have rocks inside your heart, forgiving yourself for those things… or forgiving others for putting those rocks inside your heart— will remove the rocks. Then the seeds of love can grow inside of you.
Forgiveness
Remember what forgiveness is from two weeks ago? It’s thanking yourself and accepting yourself for the way that you are.
So if you think you’re unlovable because you’re overweight, the way you forgive yourself is to thank yourself for being overweight. You can say, “Vicky, I love how you enjoy your meal. You’re a foodie. You love food and you make people happy when you eat. People can relate to you, because you’re always ready to eat.”
Then, if you want to add to that, you can say, “Actually, if I were skinny, I would be boring.”
Why don’t you try that now? Write it in your journal.
The reason that you’re unlovable— turn it around and make it a reason for why you appreciate yourself.
Birds
So the lover in this parable takes all the rocks out of his heart. He goes to AA, gets a sponsor and that takes him a year. Once he removes the rocks, he looks at the field in his heart and sees chickens everywhere. If he plants any seeds, the chickens will eat it.
Who are the chickens in your life? Chickens are people who are in your life who cock block you. They definitely do not want you to be happy. Or, if you were happy, they would be secretly jealous.
Please write this in your journal, now.
Water
The lover in this parable realizes that his field doesn’t have any water. Water is emotion. It’s the joy of life, the feelings that we have.
While his field had no more rocks and no more chickens— it was dry. The lover in this parable didn’t have anything in his life that he felt passionate about. He was just waiting around for someone else to make him feel passionate.
That doesn’t work because that person will eventually get bored and leave him, and then who will water his field? It will dry up. So he has to have his own source of water.
So he went back to school, started a career that he really loved. He also got a pet who taught him how to play and enjoy the outdoors.
What is the water in your field? What are you passionate about.
Write that in your journal, now.
Bad and Good Seeds
The lover in this parable realized he had good soil, now. So then he chose a seed. A very good looking seed. He was very happy with it.
But it turns out it was the wrong seed and so it sprouted and it grew in his field, but it brought him a lot of pain. He had to rip out the plant to save his field.
What the lover didn’t realize is that in order for love to grow— you have to have a community. You have to be surrounded by good people who are WISE. People who can tell you which are the good seeds and which are the bad seeds.
I had this college buddy who fell in love with a woman who was incredibly tall, athletic and spoke 9 languages.
In my head, I’m thinking, “She’s amazing. Why is she with you?”
When I googled her image— this is what came up. She’s probably an Israeli Mossad agent. Like, she’s a spy. Of course she doesn’t want him to have a community, or anyone who can identify her.
Who are the good and wise people in your life?
Please write that in your journal, now.
Are You Ready for Love?
Your heart is like a field of soil. It’s not enough to have fertile soil.
1. You must remove the rocks.
Forgive yourself for thinking that you’re not lovable.
2. You have to get rid of the chickens.
No haters or people who will secretly be jealous of your happiness.
3. You have to have water.
Be passionate about something in your life and pursue it.
4. You have to have community.
Good and wise people who know the good seeds from the bad.
How ready are you for love? Based on this, how ready are you for love?
