Carrie Cox’s Corner

“We hate to plant our loved ones in the ground…”

Yesterday while driving Claira to her appointment I heard my dad sing these words. I was listening to one of his old CDs. What strange words-we plant our loved ones. I’ve heard it before, but yesterday it really resonated. We plant them.

What happens when you plant?

You take a seed-it looks lifeless. Without germination it is totally lifeless. It is dead. You dig a hole. You bury it. You walk away. You hope.

And for a while nothing does happen. It just lies there in the dark soil.

After these seeds are planted and under the right conditions, the seed coat falls away and up out of the ground sprouts a new life that looks completely different than what it was before.

Man, what a beautiful picture of the resurrection. One day those we love who have died and are in Christ will be changed and they will rise. They will be better than they were before.

More alive than before they were dead.

The picture doesn’t just end there. You know a seed is made of up three parts-just like us. The outer shell of a seed, the dried up dead part is called the seed coat. It is shed when the seed germinates, and the parts on the inside emerge are finally seen. With us only in death will the inner man finally be seen. Our faith will become sight. We will know as we are known.

Germination-there still is a mystery surrounding it. No one knows exactly when a seed planted will begin the process or when it will sprout. Sadly, some never do. Did you know that some seeds can take months, even years to germinate? There is actually an article about some date seeds that were found in a desert near Jerusalem that were discovered to be about 2000 years old. These were planted and they actually sprouted. How exciting is that?! Again, what an awesome picture. Think of those who have been asleep in Christ for the past 2000 years. One day the trump of God will sound and they will suddenly arise-different than they were before. Better than they were before. Some people who have gone to sleep in Christ have had to wait a long time for Christ to return. They’ve been lying dormant for centuries. It doesn’t matter. When the trumpet sounds, up they will come up, the same as those who were buried just days before.

Another interesting fact is that sounds and certain vibrations and frequencies of sounds have a scientific and observable effect on when and how seeds germinate and grow. It has been proven that the right types of sounds have a positive effect on them. (So go sing to your plants, ha, if you have a nice voice that is).

If our music down here can actually make our seeds grow better, think of what a heavenly trumpet and shout can do for them?

Here is another interesting fact. The 2000 year old date seeds that were planted produced fruit that was larger and sweeter than the modern varieties! Changed we will be, and better than before.

1 Thessalonians chapter four states:

¹³ But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.

¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.

¹⁵ For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.

¹⁶ For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

¹⁸ Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Take comfort, friends. Planting season is hard. It is sad.

But every once in a while, through eyes of faith, we can get a glimpse of life beyond. We can see that we’re not burying our loved ones and saying good bye forever, we are planting them and waiting on the time when they will miraculously come up, better than they were before.