On small things

I shared a few thoughts over at For the Love about the temple and the little daily things that lay the foundation for spirituality. Hop on over if you feel so inclined!

Fallow ground.

Sow yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness on you.       Hosea 10:12

John and I really liked this verse during our reading the other night. We started, of course, with Dictionary.com.

fal·low  adjective

1. (of land) plowed and left unseeded for a season or more; uncultivated.

2.  not in use; inactive: My creative energies have lain fallow this year.

I think in the case of Hosea, the meaning was the second. Israel had been disobedient and failed to sow good works. They were being chastised and counseled to get plowing and sowing.

But I think the first definition happens a lot in our lives as well. At different points during our life we are stretched in different ways and caused to develop different capacities. Often when circumstances change, some of those things go on the back burner for a while as we focus on other, more necessary tasks. We needn't feel guilty for letting some things go fallow at certain times in life; it will help us to be more productive and fruitful during other seasons. But this scripture is a good reminder not to let all our talents lie fallow for too long. We can take a look at our capacities and characteristics, then break up our hesitations and impediments so that by sowing them we can bring for fruit for the Lord's coming.