Sometimes the stories that come out of a week of programming aren’t harvest—meaning huge, mind-blowing stories of transformation. Instead, it is a week of smaller stories where many seeds of faith are planted. When you add up all of those seeds, it’s BIG. God promises that these seeds will someday yield fruit and we cling to that truth. Read about some of the seeds planted this past week at the Ranch.
Rayna, afraid of heights, thought there was no way she could do the high ropes course. But after a session of team building on the ground, she bonded with her team and told them she’d give it a shot. She got up on the course and with lots of encouragement, tackled her fear and crossed a few elements. A seed of confidence was planted.
Jace has been told his whole life he was a mistake. In the art rotation, students are making two collages—one that depicts who the world calls them and the other who God calls them, redefining their identity. Through this activity Jace began to question what he’s always believed—that he is a mistake. He’s beginning to believe he was made on purpose, for a purpose. Seeds of truth and love are planted.
Keira swam in the river with her friends and got into a mud fight. She said aloud,“This mud is covering my ugly face,” as she wiped it onto her skin. Her team leader disagreed, telling her she was beautiful and shared with her all the qualities she’d noticed throughout their week together that exuded beauty. A seed of God’s heart was planted.
Thomas stared at the horse in awe, fearful to climb aboard. Finally he went for it after some chanting from his team. He climbed up on Queen and placed his trust in the huge animal, a brand new experience for him. He slowly gained confidence as he rode, warming up to a trot. When they debriefed as a team, they talked about how this experience related to faith in God. A seed of trust was planted.
Joe shared with his team about kids who have been bullying him. During our nightly assembly, we’re sharing the story of Joseph who is sold into slavery by his brothers. Joseph forgives them saying, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.” Joe has begun to wonder how God might use his experience for good and prayed for help to forgive. A seed of forgiveness was planted.
Every week seeds are planted at the Ranch. Join us in praying that God would continue to allow these seeds to grow and produce a fruitful harvest.
*Names have been changed to protect privacy.