Project Description
Although the smallest of all the seeds, it eventually grows into the greatest of garden plants, becoming a tree for birds to come and build their nests in its branches.”
Matthew 13:32 (TPT)
I want to share a “little” part of my journey about the power of a single “seed.” One that God planted in my heart many years ago. A seed that landed on fertile soil and in His perfect timing, that unseen seed grew up and out and manifested in a ministry I was led to call, “the little things.” I trust with all my heart that “the little things” will bring Jesus, a whole lotta glory!
My heart, for you reading, is
- For the eyes of your heart to be enlightened and you will take a minute or two to bring to remembrance a seed that was planted in your own heart.
- This blog gets your attention. You suddenly become aware and take notice of all the “little things” the Lord places along your path each day!
- You may even be that “little thing” that becomes a great thing in the life of another person.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10
I believe a seed begins as a tiny desire that just so happens to align with God’s plans for you.
Thirty years ago, I walked into Lifeway Christian Bookstore and purchased my first Bible. It wasn’t the first Bible I had ever received. Believe me, I had quite the collection of “hand me downs.” I had just joined my first in-depth Bible Study and I’ve gotta ‘ tell you, I felt more than a little insecure sitting in a circle of seasoned church ladies while opening up my precious mother’s worn, torn, very well-loved Bible. The binding was busted! Genesis was actually MISSING….and oh, mercy me! We were studying Genesis!
Sunday at church, I proudly opened my brand-new crisp NAS version, sat it upon my lap and settled in the ready position –and the seed landed! I felt it! It was as if God’s hand came down from heaven and powerfully buried it in the soil of my heart and in fear of forgetting the power of the words—I grabbed the pen from the pew in front of me and wrote it down.
My pastor said, “Never underestimate the power of a single seed. Years may pass by and many prayers will be prayed but ALWAYS trust in that seed. Life will happen and God will call forth that seed, it will spring forth as a tiny shoot. That seed is a desire that aligns with His desires for you. The purposes and plans He has called you to.”
I want to share the most recent seed, (aka dream, desire, ideas that the Lord has planted over the years of my life but I think I might have your attention to tell you the most recent one.
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37: 4
I love that verse above, but when I was a young believer, the Scripture meant to me: Do good—Keep Performing—-Clean it up—and hopefully, when you DO enough good for Him, He will reward you with every desire of your heart.
I realized that pattern of thinking was instilled in my earliest years of life in mistaking Father GOD for Santa Claus. I grew up singing and believing, “He sees you when you’re sleeping. He knows when you’re awake! He knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be GOOD FOR GOODNESS SAKE!” Be good child of God and stay off the naughty list, and He’ll give you all the desires of your heart!
Our minds need constant renewing and the LORD is not Santa. God is not looking at our performance; He’s looking at us through the lens of Jesus–the only perfect human to ever grace this planet!
Jesus lived, died and defeated death–that is the performance the Father is looking at when He looks at you. Jesus lived the LIFE we couldn’t live and died the death we deserved to die–all that was His, at the moment we believed, was transferred onto us! He wore our unrighteousness in order to make us righteous-Jesus made us right with God.
A seed, I believe–begins as a desire and as 1 Corinthians 3:7 says, “It is the Lord that causes the seed to grow.”
The seed planted in my heart from that church pew long ago, finally began to sprout and grow a little over a year ago!
It began with hearing—then seeing ALL “the little things.”
A tea-cup painted by my grandmother. A tiny, oval picture frame of my girls (little) dressed in their Christmas dresses that hung by a beautiful, green velvet ribbon. One thing after another and suddenly, I didn’t want to take a single moment, a single flower, a single smile, a strong hug, walking balanced, the sound of my two daughter’s laughter—every one of those things seemingly small, was suddenly seen for the immense beauty and power it held.
A tiny, pink rose, a yellow butterfly, the symbolism I found in my new found love of gardening. I suddenly saw with this new perspective, how many spiritual truths are found in planting, watering and watching flowers grow.
That plants life is fully dependent on you—your time, love and attention. Forget about it and it will die. Neglect it, fail to protect it and it will be eaten by enemies. So many of God’s attributes are seen by In the Ultimate Gardener’s shoes.
- Gratitude became my attitude and that attitude—that has the power to change how you see everything and everyone, around you.
For since the beginning, God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Romans 1:20
I nudge you gently, please don’t miss “the little things.”
A new perspective and eyes open to see, I began seeing “the little things” and the power they held in becoming greater than I had ever imagined.
The sprouting from the seed:
A little over a year ago, I awoke in the night with a memory–it was from a book I had read long ago. With a flashlight, I began searching my bookcases while my husband snored away. Finally, I found it! I pulled from the bookshelf a “little,” faded, black book written by Mother Theresa called, “In the Heart of the World.” I opened it, began flipping through the pages and lo and behold, I turned to page 53 and the thought popped into my mind, “Wait, I am 53 years old….” The tile read: “Remember the Little Things.”
The tiny, tender shoot of that seed buried in my heart, hit the atmosphere on a hot, August day when a man walked into my husband Bill’s office saying, “This is weird. I feel like the Lord put you on my heart to come to you first, before I put this house on the market.”
We drove to the home and pop, pop, pop! That little seed was popping like popcorn in my heart. My first thoughts were, “a little chapel.”
A huge Live Oak stood boldly in the center of the front yard and it’s branches extended far out, like arms reaching towards heaven. I knew the roots matched those branches and they ran deep.
The address just happened to be Bay to Bay at Church Street and those tree branches seemed to stretch far out into Bay to Bay Boulevard.
Outside to inside, the little house was dilapidated. It needed some love but the bones were strong and beautiful, typical of 1940’s architecture.
My daughter Kendall came home from London and together, side by side, the two of us daily, dedicated 9 months of our gifts and talents in Interior Design! It was pure joy having this time together, doing what we love to do. We filled the house with “little treasures” that had deeper significance because, I believe, a house tells a story.
The second renovation was finished at exactly nine months! It was time to give birth to a ministry, planted in the form of a seed buried long ago, in my heart.
One day, with my hands dug deep in the soil of the flowerbed, I saw something spiritual in what I was physically doing. In the creating and restoring of “the little things,” the restoration was reciprocal. As I was restoring that little broken down home, the Lord was also restoring my little, broken-down heart.
My earlier blogs titled Deep Calls to Deep and A Suffering Sparrow are on www.prayerbowls.com & tell of my journey through a debilitating 6 year battle with Menieres Disease. Those stories tell of the long winter season I endured, not so valiantly, to get to the place of seeing this beautiful seed, come to LIFE!
“the little things” (lower case intentional) is now a ministry where I am able to combine my God given gifts of decorating & teaching God’s Word.
There is nothing I love more than to be able to use my gifts for God’s glory alone and be able to decorate the interior of women’s hearts and homes with the the LIFE and BEAUTY of the Gospel!
the little things is today, already bearing much fruit. It is dedicated to the LORD to use it as He pleases, as a house of prayer, a little space where women can come together and grow in their love of Jesus. I see it as a well-tended garden where seeds of encouragement, hospitality, creativity, joy, and hope will be sown. It is small but large in love and support and is a place where all souls can find solace and purpose. We will celebrate the little things by creating, worshipping, praying, leaning into God’s Word and we WILL laugh, because as Solomon said, “Laughter is medicine for the soul.”
It is our heart’s desire, that if you feel led, we invite you to explore “the little things” and find as we have, God shows up BIG in the little things.
Please feel free to reach out to me for more information at jill@jillgarrett.com
As for you my friend, thank you for hanging in for a novel, I want to end by encouraging you to right now, stop and pause. Selah.
- Seek. Knock. What is that desire in your heart? Could it be that it is actually a SEED that God planted?
- Never underestimate the power of a tiny seed planted.
- If you are in a difficult season, my heart is to be able to sustain you with a word and that Word became a man, because He loved you so much, He left heaven to save you. Be intentional to look for Him in “the little things.” He is closer than you imagine. He sees you, He hears you and He loves you. He is ready and willing to bring beauty to your ashes, take that mantle of despair off your weary shoulders and clothe you in a mantle of praise. He can/He will turn your mourning into dancing–I am a living witness testifying to that truth! “Greater is He that is IN you, than he that is the world.”
- What began in a garden, Jesus finished and rose from the grave–redeeming the garden. He cares about gardens—especially the garden that is your heart. Only He can untangle the messy vines and pull you up and out, leading you forward and upward in freedom!
- And lastly, remember: He loves the “Wild Ones.”
And I am certain of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:6
My prayer for you:
Abba-Father,
Great is Your faithfulness. Jesus, you ARE Truth embodied. No matter what life is throwing at us, we are certain of this that you “Greater are You, who is in us, than he that is in the world.” May we reach for you, grope for you and find that you are not so far away. I speak the name of Jesus over every person reading this blog. That the eyes of their hearts would be enlightened, that their faith would be fanned, their spirit would be refreshed and restored and hope would begin to fill their weary hearts now. In Jesus name. Amen.