The Seed Bags

from November 2022

Is God One Person?

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The Seed Bags

by Charles Finney

At the back door of my grandparents’ old country farmhouse was a corner filled with bags. There was a lot of empty burlap bags that were once full of potatoes. Two bags of interest were hanging on a wooden peg nailed right to the door.

One belonged to my grandpa, and the other to my grandma. Both were sewn out of old burlap bags. Grandpa’s was just a little more than a pouch, it was gray and held his planting seeds. The bag was held together at the top by some twine rope. It was deep and held a lot of corn seeds. Every time I would see grandpa take his seed bag to the planting field, he would quote Genesis 1:11: “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.” Grandpa said, “I go to plant my seeds and wait for the harvest.”

Grandma’s bag was more decorative. It was also held together by twine rope. It was not as deep as grandpa’s and had a dried flower sewn on the front. Grandma also had the words Faith and Believe embroidered on it. Grandma’s bag held her sowing seeds, too. Her main “seeds” were the Bible and her Sunday School booklet. She also carried an old worn paper with two quotes of faith written on it.

Grandma would usually get her seed bag as she went out the door to church or to visit a neighbor. Grandma often quoted two sayings on faith as she went out the door: “Belief is held in the mind, faith is a fire in the heart,” (Johnathan Swift) and she reminded grandpa that “the smallest seed of faith is better then the largest fruit of happiness” (Henry David Thoreau). Grandma remarked to grandpa that God loves everyone, but probably prefers “fruit of the spirit” over “a religious nut!” Grandma said, “I go to plant my seeds and wait for the harvest.”

Grandpa was out sowing his corn seeds when a nosy neighbor came by his cornfield. This genus neighbor knew everything about everything. He asked grandpa what he was doing. Grandpa told him that he was in his cornfield planting seeds, and if anyone came by, he would sell some seeds. The neighbor remarked, “Sell seeds?” Grandpa told him he was getting five dollars for one corn seed. Five dollars a pop! The know-it-all neighbor said, “What? Why would anyone want to eat raw corn seed?”

Grandpa said, “Well, they make you smarter!” The neighbor could not stand for anyone to be smarter than him. So, he said, “Okay, give me one.” He swallowed it. Then he said, “Wait a minute! For five dollars, I could have bought a pound of corn seeds and got myself at least 200 seeds!” Grandpa just remarked, “See! You’re smarter already!” The neighbor, now more delighted in himself, said, “Wow, you’re right…give me two more, quick!”

Grandpa’s selling of seed corn showed us that as in 2 Timothy 3:2-7, “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy.” Grandma’s seed bag showed us that as in Ephesians 2, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast.” After my grandparents had gathered their bags and went out the door, I saw a hand carved piece of wood nailed on the door with the inscription on it of John 11:26: “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” I believe!

Faith Haven

Christian Academy

Faith Haven is an accredited, independent, non-denominational Christian school serving grades PreK through fifth grade. Our mission is to foster a safe and encouraging environment—an atmosphere that enhances the holistic growth of students: intellectual, physical, artistic, and spiritual.