What’s in a seed?

Three years ago today Cultivate Connection found it’s genesis. As I look back now, and if I am honest there really wasn’t any forethought to start a guided bible based meditation podcast. In fact, I stumbled my way into this. It is still a little surreal that once a week I record myself meditating on scripture and hanging out with Jesus and then post it online for people I have never met to listen to. That is normal, right? So if I didn’t dream it up how did we get from there to here?

Like many things, maybe all things, it started with a seed. A seed that carried everything it needed to grow into something bigger. If we are not careful it can be easy to miss our seed moments. I was attending a five day yoga teacher training, part of our training included daily guided meditation. It was during one of these sessions meditating on scripture and practicing His presence, when God planted a seed. I remember being seated on the gym floor as we were led through our practice that day; something rose up inside of me and I wanted to point at the woman leading and proclaim “I want to do that”! It caught me off guard, my spirit was telling my mind a longing that was deep in my heart that I didn’t even know existed. My first thought was “I do? Really?” In that moment something was awoken in me. Something I didn’t know even was there. The seed was planted.

"If we are not careful it can be easy to miss our seed moments."

A couple months later the seed began to sprout. Don’t you love the way God uses the ordinary to reveal Himself to us in creative ways? At least that is how I see Him moving in my life, using everyday things to reveal more of His heart. I had a phone call scheduled with a friend who wanted prayer, nothing out of the ordinary, yet! The day before our call I sensed a prompting inside telling me this prayer meeting was not going to be prayer as usual. I felt God telling me to lead my friend through a guided meditation. Sure! Cool! Why not? I mean I had never done it before, but ok! She was open to the idea and I realize now our time together was as much for me as it was for her. What I saw that day has become the basis of Cultivate Connection.

During our call a picture unfolded. I could see my friend and beside her was a huge pile of garbage, taller than her. I knew it represented the problems and issues she was dealing with.  I looked around and wondered where Jesus was in this scene. Way off on the horizon I noticed Him, He was very small because he was so far away. I asked her to picture Jesus walking towards her until they were standing face to face. As they connected I looked over to where the pile of garbage was and I was shocked to see it was completely gone, no dust, no residue, no sign it was ever there. Then I heard the words “You lead them to me and I will take care of their issues.” This became a moment of empowerment and relief for me. I love counselling and think it is so important, but I am not a counsellor. I don’t know how to solve people’s problems, but I have a friend who is so much more qualified than me. He has a solution for every problem and His love is unending. His name is Jesus, and He was giving me permission to stop trying to fix people and instead lead them into His presence and let Him take care of the rest.

Life motivation comes from the deep longings of the heart, and the passion to see them fulfilled urges you onward. 

Proverbs 16:26 The Passion Translation 

Here we are three years later from a phone date I will never forget. The moment a seed germinated and began to show what was really inside. I have been stumbling my way through ever since, showing up week after week, wondering who in the world is even listening.  Anytime I would begin to think this is a waste of time God would send me a story of someone who was listening and how Cultivate Connection has been blessing their lives. And so I keep recording.

Photo Credit @cjoudrey