Think back for a minute. Do
you remember a time when someone said something that hurt your feelings? Of
course, you do. We hear all the time about the power of words, but do we really
understand how powerful they are? Powerful enough to destroy a life - or heal
one.
Sit back. Settle in and take
your time reading this story about words:
“Seeds and Trees”
by Brandon Walden
In the land of the king lived a special young prince, who loved climbing trees and playing with friends.
He lived in a castle overlooking the sea. He played in a field with his two kinds of trees.
He carried a satchel slung low on his waist to contain all the seeds he might want to exchange.
Each seed was a word that someone had spoken. Each seed was collected, a trinket, a token.
It didn’t quite matter from where it had come, a stranger, a friend, a whisper made up.
He rose every morning to water the seeds from each of the words he’d already received.
When someone spoke nicely, not anything mean, they’d hand him a seed whose true essence was green.
But sometimes the seeds would come bringing pain, seeds of dark color whose trees produced shame.
Several dark seeds grew quickly, then withered.
Others remained to grow slowly, unhindered.
At the end of each day, he’d admire the seeds and go plant the new ones and play in his trees.
The trunks and the branches of dark trees were laden with thistles and thorns, causing pain as he scaled them.
Climbing these trunks and these branches was tricky. Each part of the tree that he grasped was quite prickly.
Each time the prince climbed, he was bruised and was slit. Yet trees are for climbing, so through pain he’d persist.
But each time he climbed up his trees clothed in green, he felt safe and healed, as those trees weren’t mean.
His green trees were strong, and they welcomed his touch.
Their branches grew fruit he could eat or could clutch.
He could sit at the base or climb to the peak.
He could rest in the branches or play hide and seek.
As years passed, he noticed his green trees were weakening.
The trunks at the base of the trees needed strengthening.
Now the soil had hardened as life was escaping.
Their canopies were covered. His dark trees had shaded them.
He would plant his green seeds and dark seed beside. Then they’d war with each other and try to survive.
His green trees were strongest with plenty of light, but his dark trees grew stronger in the darkness of night.
They shared the same water and sunlight to grow, but the dark trees were hiding the fruit they would show.
The green trees caused life, joy, and peace to grow near, but the dark seeds killed soil and grew trees clothed in fear.
The field the prince planted had started to show many trees of two kinds and the fruit that had grown.
The fruit fell like seeds to the soil down below, filled with seeds to be gathered or given to sow.
The young prince grew strong and became a young man. He continued to plant the seeds placed in his hand.
He invited some friends to come play in his trees, but some like to play in his trees from dark seeds.
He had one special friend who always spoke true, her words filled with grace, as good friends always do.
She never spoke harshly and never spoke lies. She always spoke gently, with loving replies.
She always gave green seeds and never took back. She never ran out. There was never a lack.
Her satchel was filled to the brim, overflowing with green seeds, not dark seeds, each one for the sowing.
She watched the prince till, plant, and water his grove. She watched, and she waited until asked to go.
One day, the prince said, “Hey friend, come along.” She humbly agreed and began singing a song.
“To the grove, to the grove, we will look down below, at the roots in the soil and the trees that have grown. We will care for your green trees and even plant more seeds, but your dark trees will fall as this new life is sown.”
As he waited in his field with his friend by his side, the young prince took note as his trees came alive.
Green trees swayed now to the sound of the tune, But the dark trees stood stiff, clenched their fists, and seemed rude.
After long years of planting and watering seeds, they’d grown into mighty and powerful trees.
The prince reminisced as he entered the grove. He thought back to each tree and the seed that was sown.
He admired the beauty the green seeds created, but noticed at the roots they were sadly ill-fated.
His friend came prepared and brought tools along. The prince hadn’t noticed, but his friend was quite strong.
The tools that she carried were weathered and humble: a pickaxe, a saw, and an old rusty shovel.
The friend asked the prince to please pick out a tree, one causing pain that he’d rather not see.
The prince pointed up to one skinny, dark mass. His friend said, “Watch this!” then took out her axe.
With one mighty swing, the tree fell to the ground. Then his friend dug her shovel deep, deep, deeply down.
The root had to die and be plucked from the dirt.
Then a green seed was planted and covered with earth.
The prince then exclaimed, “Can you cut down more trees?”
His friend said, “Oh yes, and I’ve plenty of seeds.”
Many dark roots had tunneled so deep that it took them a while to dig underneath.
Dark roots wrapped close ‘round the green everywhere. So, the friend showed the prince how to tend them with care.
Her tools came in handy: the axe, saw, and shovel, and others the friend had brought here to the struggle.
Then came the day when his forest was green. Not a dark tree was spotted. Not any were mean.
The friend then surprised the grown prince with some gifts, some tools for his new watering shifts.
She instructed the prince not to plant the dark seeds, but to go to the cliff to cast them out to sea.
The prince held the green seeds and those were all saved, but he tossed the dark seeds off the cliffs to the waves.
Then he traveled to new fields abounding with trees, making sure that he packed his old satchel with seeds…
“To the grove, to the grove, we will look down below, at the roots in the soil and the trees that have grown. We will care for the green trees and even plant more seeds, but the dark trees will fall as this new life is sown.”
“Be careful what you water, for it will surely grow.”
There are many Bible verses that speak about the
use and power of the tongue, words we say to others and to ourselves. James
speaks of the tongue as a powerful and deadly poison that is difficult to
harness. The words on which we meditate grow deep into our souls and shape us.
Surely, if we want good things to come out of our mouths, we must guard what is
allowed into our hearts and intentionally plant good things there. It begins
with the words that form our thoughts.
I have been rather anxious lately. Have you? There are so many dark and scary things happening in our world right now. The Lord is reminding me of what to do about these fears.
“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let
your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do
not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the
peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts
and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things. What you have learned and received and
heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will
be with you.” (The Apostle Paul, Philippians 4:4-9)
These are solemn words spoken by our Lord Jesus,
“Either make the tree good
and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree
is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you
are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth
good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will
give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your
words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:33-37)
joyce hague
