PARABLE OF THE PEAS

I love fresh peas.
YUM!
This year I planted a few peas.

One grew ...
The rest were too soggy and cold.

I replanted - in a drier spot with more light.
Then I forgot to water the new planting consistently -
the seedlings almost died but I finally put the sprinkler on -
I really do WANT some peas!

The new seedlings are now about 3-4 inches high.
Sometimes we need to change what doesn't work -
Sometimes we need to water -
Sometimes we need to stop watering.

Sometimes we need to weed!
(I'll put that on my agenda!)

I teach Course 14 Sunday School class -
teens that are 14 and 15 -
'nough said - we have fun.

Our course of study this year is the New Testament.  Mathew chapter 13 (verses 3 through 9) records a story - a parable - about a 'sower' - someone planting seeds.

Naturally I brought seeds -
of course!

(Most of the class could recognize peas, beans and corn - the seeds look mostly the same as our food except for being a bit dry and shriveled.  They were pretty intrigued to see tiny, tiny seeds - some so small they are like dust, and huge seeds the size of a thumb nail.  Each is unique - did you ever look at a beet seed?)

Home grown seed also helped provide and enlarge some of the analogies parables are best known for - how many pea seeds in a dry pod (or radish seeds in a radish pod - what? you have never seen one??)? How many 'peas' will one plant provide? How do you know if a seed will grow? and will it provide desirable produce? or more seed? How do you get pea seed? Will I get peas by leaving the dry seed in a package? or pod? How much water does a seed need? How much light? What kind of soil? Do all seeds need the same soil?  Are there seeds we don't want to grow? What care does a seed need? Do peas grow best when it is hot? or cold? How much space does each one need? Do I have to remove the huge dandelion dwarfing my seedling? Can I put the seedling back into the ground if it is uprooted when I weed? Why do I have to weed?

We talked about how to know if seeds are good - things we WANT - like me and peas. We read and talked about the seeds and IF they grow - or don't. I showed them some soaked pea seed that had a sprout emerging.

I gave each student a package of peas to take home and plant. I took the sprouted seeds home and planted them in a carefully selected, sure to be moist and not trampled, spot.

Do you think any of the students planted their peas?
I will ask them tomorrow.

The 'ONE' is doing well. One pod will be full enough to use for my lesson tomorrow - John chapter 15.  Jesus tells his disciples he is the true vine and we must be rooted in him.  He explains that a 'branch' can not bear fruit in itself unless it is rooted in the vine.

I took this picture in the morning sun a few days ago.

This young pod reminds me of my students.

Parables can be instructive.

NICE!

One full pod is ready.

I only need one - one will get the discussion started.
I think I will also pot up a small 'vine' to take -
weeds and all.

This pod gave us 7 - we ate them in class.
How many more pods will this 'vine' grow?

There is much to learn from nature.

I may tell the students that steady dating
is like eating a pod too soon ...
it is not ready yet ... neither are they ...
not yet,
not quite.

 Heavenly Father's plan gives us more - more of everything - more that is worth waiting for.