No Formulas

There is no formula that leads to a transformed life. God changes lives with the precision of a surgeon, but the mystery of the wind. When we lift our sails, He fills invisibly, but unmistakably fills them.

Just yesterday I read the story of a young person whose life was profoundly changed by the reality of God’s love and grace. Everything that this teen believed about God, his community, and yes, what he believed about himself changed. But the change happened mysteriously, miraculously.

God, and God alone, is capable of this kind of transformation. A sown seed lays dormant until God brings it to life. This realization reminds me of my role as a “sower.”

Every day I scatter seeds, intentionally and unintentionally, by what I say and what I say I leave unsaid. Who knows how God will use a quick conversation with the clerk at Safeway or a focused discussion over coffee with a friend? In emails or errands, to allies or enemies, God is at work.

“He knows not how.” It’s not my role to figure out how or why a seed grows. In obedience I reach deeply into my pouch of seeds, and I sow. When the seed sprouts and grows I sing praises to the King because while I slept, He was at work.

“He knows not how.” Yet God invites me to join him in the mystery of all mysteries.