Seed and Water
by Judi Chow

I like to play games. I like to use games in training missionaries. Word association is a game I often use for experiential learning to bring about self-awareness. You start with a list of words and write out the first word that comes to mind associating it. The following is an example of what some missionaries came up with: 

God – love
Jesus – cross
Missionary – obedience
Single - lonely
Culture – language
Home – belong
Ministry - evangelism
Joy – baby
Peace – dove
Sin – murder
Rainbow - Noah
Peter - rock

From a list of associating words, you can find out something about a person’s thinking, past experiences, and value system. Association can be straightforward or creative; it reflects one’s worldview. 

Recently, I associated “seed” with “water” from looking at the tiny seeds in a plastic container I got last year after a Sunday sermon. It was given to us as a reminder that if we have faith as a mustard seed, we could move mountains. For more than nine months now, all the seeds remain intact on the corner of my desk. As I was looking at it, this verse came to mind, “…unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24) Somehow in my mind’s eye, I see these tiny seeds as missionaries… willing to die, to give up ones’ lives in exchange for an opportunity to win the lost. To bear fruit for the Lord!

Well, a seed remains as a seed until it… no, not only dies, but it needs soil, sunshine, and water before it can sprout and bear fruit. When I see those tiny seeds as missionaries and associating it with water, you might be curious and ask: what or whom does water represent? Some said, water-- definitely refers to the living water, God himself! That’s whom missionaries needed in order to bear fruit! Well, there is no right or wrong answer to association, but another verse came to mind, “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." (Matthew 10:42) What if I see water as people God has called to encourage and care for missionaries? Imagine it hasn’t rained for months, the soil is dry, even though the sun is still shining the plant will eventually wither due to lack of water.

“…unless a cup of water pours into the soil and empties, it remains in the cup; but if it empties, the seeds will sprout and bear much fruit.” Both water and seed require sacrificial giving up of self in order to fulfill one’s destiny. It is not possible to give without love from the Lord and for others. Water cannot be a seed, but seeds need water! God created both for a purpose, which one do you think you are?