SOWING SEEDS INTO OUR CHILDREN

Got a question for you…

What does an Oak tree, a cucumber and a daisy all have in common? You might
have guessed the answer, but here it is…All of them have come from seeds and they all produce seeds.
Seeds were planted in order for them to grow. But the amazing part about them is they all have seeds
within them ready to reproduce. So, the cycle will always continue.
Seeds may be small, but they have a big purpose in our world. Seeds may look like they are insignificant,
but their influence is far-reaching, and their impact is long-lasting. Plants begin their lives as seeds. But
how does a small seed form into a plant, flower or any seed-producing organism? Seeds don’t just
become plants overnight. It’s a process.

The process of seeds becoming a plant, or a tree is called germination. Before we talk about the
germination process, we have to understand that within every seed is a miniature plant called the embryo,
which will one day develop into a fully grown plant. Germination happens when the embryo, which is in
the seed, breaks out of the seed coat. One part of the embryo goes downward, which becomes the plant’s roots, and the other part of the embryo goes upward, which becomes the stem and leaves. The conditions must be right in order for seeds to germinate properly. They need air, water, light and good soil conditions. I really don’t mean to bore you with some science facts, but the whole process of how a seed becomes a plant is absolutely amazing.

This process reminds me of how our children grow into adults. As parents, we plant “seeds” into our children every day. You may say, “How do I plant seeds into my children?” We plant “seeds” into our children by the words we speak to them. Please remember this… “When you say it, you are sowing it!”
Repeat… “When you say it, you sow it!” Words are powerful and if we speak the right ones to our
children, they will produce a harvest of blessings in their lives. However, if we speak the wrong ones to
them, their harvest could potentially become unfruitful in their lives. “Seeds” or words should be spoken
to our children with intentionality. We need to speak words that will uplift, empower and motivate
children, young or old, to be the best they can be. Never tear down your children with your words. Build
your children up by speaking life to them. Start by speaking the Word of God over them every day!
When my two young kings were toddlers, I began to speak the following verses over them every night before they went to sleep:

Numbers 6:24-26 “The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 The Lord make His face shine upon
you, And be gracious to you; 26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you
peace.”

In the above verses, God told Moses to tell Aaron to bless the children of Israel in this way. I took it personally and began to declare this over my young kings as a way to preserve them as they grew up. The
“seeds” planted in the good soil of our children’s hearts will continue to produce a good harvest in the
lives of our children that will last a lifetime.
Reflection time: Hey parent, what “seeds” are you sowing into your children?

Shawn Outlaw

Shawn is a Woman of God, with a Word from God for the People of God. Shawn has a passion for seeing God’s people grow in grace and in the knowledge of Him. Because of this passion, God has opened many doors for her to speak at revivals, seminars, prayer breakfasts, workshops, etc… Shawn also has a desire to see all God’s people worship Him in spirit and in truth. She has led and sang on Praise Worship Teams within the Body of Christ. Her life verse is Palms 34:1, “I will bless the Lord at all times and his praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

Currently, Shawn is a faithful member of Seeds of Greatness Bible Church. Shawn is active in various ministries within the church. She serves on the ministerial team, dances on the Word-in-Motion dance team and teaches the children in the Seedlings Youth Ministry. Also, Shawn is the founder and servant-leader of the W.I.S.D.O.M. ministries, a weekly women’s conference call geared to study the women of the Bible and gain the wisdom from their lives.

Shawn, along with her W.I.S.D.O.M. Core team, has published a book entitled, WISDOM SPEAKS: The Beginning of Wisdom. This book is the first of many books to come.