Casandra Martin

They cover the ground. Their shells make a crunching noise under my shoes. Some of the acorns are broken open, spilling their orange flesh onto the street. Some are intact and whole, waiting for soft soil. There are hundreds of them, thousands of them on the ground. You don’t have to look up at the tree to know you are standing under an oak. Just look at the seeds everywhere.

The oak isn’t choosy about where its acorns fall. It sends the acorns flying to the ground, trusting that the processes God put in place will help a few of them find the right conditions for growth. The tree’s job is to release the seeds. God created the oak so that it would cover its path with acorns. A few of them will find a way to sprout.

As I crunched through the carpet of acorns left by the oak tree, their sheer number provided me with a mirror and a question. How many seeds am I leaving behind? Do I leave evidence of Jesus wherever I go? Can people tell by the fruit that remains that a Christian has stood here?

God calls us to be like the oak tree and leave seeds everywhere we go. The seeds are the evidence of Jesus that invites someone to seek His face, stand surrendered beneath the cross, and dance with joy before the empty tomb. Many of the seeds will get broken. Some will get carried off and hidden away. A few might find hearts hungry for Him and God will work in the miracle we sometimes call faith.

My Jesus Resolution today is to spread my seeds. I am going to leave Jesus behind wherever I go today. I want each person I meet to walk away with a little touch of His grace, a whiff of His aroma, and a taste of His love. It means being deliberate about my example, being intentional about my words, and being purposeful about my choices. I am going to pick up an acorn and carry it in my pocket. It will be a reminder for me of how God wants to use me to plant a seed in someone’s life today.