God's Abundance

This past weekend my neighborhood has been carpet-bombed by maple tree seeds. There are jillions of them, everywhere. 

Throughout the entire weekend my next door neighbor has been outside with his leaf blower trying to stay ahead of the curve in removing them--from his driveway, his rain gutters, his patio. I told him he's fighting a losing battle. He doesn't see it that way.

While my neighbor may see these seeds as a curse, something to clog up his rain gutters and mess up his perfect lawn, I see them as evidence of God's abundance.

This one maple tree in front of my yard is putting out enough seeds for a forest of maple trees. According to Wikipedia, one tree can release hundreds of thousands of seeds. But let's look deeper into why this one tree has so many seeds.

Did you know you can eat the seeds? They are called "samaras" and are high in protein and are known as great survival food. You can eat them raw, boil them, or roast them. You can toss them on a salad or add them to your mashed potatoes. I'm sure the squirrels, chipmunks and other little creatures are enjoying this bountiful harvest, too.

Additionally, the seeds can lay dormant for a couple of years before sprouting. By providing all these seeds God not only makes sure that the trees will survive by perpetuating the species, but also that the other creatures here on earth will benefit from them as well.

Seeing all the helicopters coming from my maple tree isn't the only time I think of how well God provides. I also notice it when I cut into a fruit of any kind. Pumpkins especially get me thinking about this. 

One pumpkin has hundreds of seeds, and while they are tasty after being roasted and are packed full of nutrition, they too provide a way to keep the species going. Even if you saved just ten seeds for next year's garden, each new plant could give you three to five pumpkins which, in the end, is a lot of seeds.

All of this is a great reminder of how God provides for all of His creation. It is all part of the circle of life--the trees, the seeds, and the creatures. We are a part of that circle, too. Every time I cut into a piece of fruit I am reminded of this abundance and I send up a prayer of thanksgiving. What a wonderful grand master plan from which we have the privilege to benefit.

I'm off to collect some maple seeds. I'm thinking I'll roast them. I'll let you know how they turn out.

"Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds." And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening, and there was morning -- the third day." (Genesis 1:11-13, NIV)