Walk into any home improvement store this time of year and you’ll see it — rows upon rows of seed packets. Tomatoes. Zinnias. Basil. Sunflowers. Each small envelope holds something far bigger than it appears. And someone decides where it will go.
It begins as a thought… “The garden should go here.” But before there is soil, before there is planting, before there is growth — there is a Gardener.
Jesus said, “I am the true grapevine, and My Father is the gardener.” – (John 15:1 NIV)
Nothing in the garden happens accidentally. Seeds are not scattered carelessly in the Kingdom of God. They are chosen. Placed. Positioned. A tiny seed is placed into the soil and begins to become what it was made to be. With the proper nourishment and care it not only needs but deserves, it grows.
It may become a strong, steady tree that offers much-needed shade. Or a protective hedge providing security. Perhaps a source of food to sustain the gardener. Some seeds are planted to provide plants that help other plants thrive. If planted for pleasure, it may become a fragrant flower — created simply to be admired and enjoyed.
And so, I reflect on the seed within me. What am I meant to grow into? What am I meant to become? What’s God’s purpose for my life?
Here I am, half a century into this life, only now recognizing that I have spent years trying to grow in soil that was never meant for me. Only now fully understanding that growth is not about striving upward — it is about rooting downward. Trying to bloom without abiding, without staying connected to the Vine, gets me nowhere, for without Christ, I can strive, but not become.
Perhaps I am meant to become shade — a steady presence in a world of heat and hurry.
Perhaps I am called to become a hedge — protecting what God has entrusted to me.
Perhaps I am to bear fruit — becoming encouragement, wisdom, hospitality, faith.
Perhaps I am to become quietly, reflecting beauty that points back to Him.
Maybe becoming is not choosing one shape. Maybe becoming is yielding daily to the hands of the Gardener. There is still sun to soak in — the light of His Word. There are roots to deepen — in prayer and obedience. There is water to draw — from the Living Water that never runs dry.
I have lingered in the seed stage long enough. But perhaps even that season was not wasted, for seeds grow in darkness first. They split open before they rise. They surrender before they stretch. And maybe becoming does not mean striving to be something impressive. Maybe it simply means abiding, trusting the Gardener, remaining in the Vine, growing where I am planted, and bearing fruit in season.
It is time to break open.
It is time to rise.
It is time to become — not what I decide — but what He designed.
Perhaps, with proper care, I can be each of these when needed. But what does becoming truly look like?
“Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal.” (John 12:24 MSG)
Living It Out: From Seed to Surrender
Reading about becoming is beautiful, but seeds only grow when something changes beneath the surface. If we are truly planted in Christ, what does that look like in everyday life? Real, Christ-like growth, begins beneath the surface and starts small.
1. Grow in Hidden Places
“Your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:4)
Spend intentional time with the Lord each day — even 5–10 quiet minutes. Choose one act of obedience or kindness that no one else sees. Let your roots grow where applause is absent.
2. Tend Your Soil
“Above all else, guard your heart.” (Proverbs 4:23)
Consider what is shaping you. Limit one influence that drains your spirit and add one that nourishes it — Scripture, worship, prayer, godly conversation.
3. Abide, Don’t Strive
“Apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
Before reacting or planning, pause and pray. Fruit comes from connection, not pressure. Whisper, “Lord, I abide in You.”
4. Trust the Gardener
“I planted… but God gave the growth.” (1 Corinthians 3:6)
Release one area where you are trying to control the outcome. Your role is faithfulness. His role is fruitfulness.
Pray this prayer over your day and watch the seed He has planted in you…become what He intends for your life.
Father, plant me where You desire.
Deepen my roots in Your Word.
Grow me in hidden places.
And produce fruit in Your time.
I trust in your ways,
may I be the harvest of your tender gardening.
Amen.
-Ann Marie Reynolds
KINGDOM LIFE AZ 
Leave a comment