Devotions

An Acorn in God’s Hands

My grandson, Brad, and I have certain routines when I visit. One of our favorite things to do is walk to a nearby park. This park has no toys, but we find our own toys and make up our own games. Before we leave, I cut up pieces of apple and cheese, which he carries in a plastic bowl. This has evolved as part of our tradition. We play hide-and-go-seek; always hiding in the same exact places. We sometimes play tag—until I get tired. Then throwing eucalyptus nuts into the ravine stands out as a highlight of our time at the oak tree park. We call it “the oak tree park” because a century-old oak tree stands majestically in the center.

Autumn must be the season for acorns to fall from oaks because this past week there were hundreds of them all over the ground. They fascinated Brad so he began to gather a few of the shiniest. Using his five-year-old creativity, Brad decided that we should each carry a shiny acorn as we played hide-and-go-seek. I counted first and went to seek Brad out. Hiding behind a skinny tree, he was pretty easy to find. The next part of our game was to run around the tree a few times giggling the entire time. Using my Grandma creativity, I spontaneously decided to add to the game by tagging him with my acorn. I tossed the acorn towards his torso. It hit his chest and bounced right into the little plastic bowl he carried in his hand. I laughed with amazement.

The next time it was my turn to do the seeking, we ran around a different tree. Again I tossed my acorn and incredibly it slipped right into Brad’s little shirt pocket. I stood astounded. If I tried one hundred times, I don’t think I could duplicate those throws by hitting the plastic bowl or Brad’s pocket. This was just weird.

I thought about it and the next night God gave me insight into something similar. When I write or teach, it is like randomly tossing an acorn. I throw out an idea, and often it hits a target and makes an impression on someone. God uses it to encourage a heart, direct a path, or open eyes to a new truth. I have no idea who needs to hear a particular message; but God does. God knows the intended target and He hits the mark. My responsibility is to keep listening to Him and keep tossing out the ideas.

God keeps me encouraged when I receive comments like these: “Thank you for the article. I read it on a day when I needed to hear this reminder the most.” And from another, “I actually needed to see this today. I have been struggling with what to do as a Christian woman…” A different woman wrote, “The Holy Spirit has been speaking to me on this very subject lately, but I had no idea how to do it.”

Like the boy who made his lunch available to Jesus to feed 5,000 men and their families (John 6:1-14), my meager resources seem insignificant to meet the needs of God’s people. But like this boy with the five barley loaves and two fish, I’ve found that when I offer my meager resources, God’s grace multiplies the blessings to others far beyond what I could accomplish with my inadequate abilities.

God works the same way when believers share Christ with others. We may offer a testimony, praise God to another, share His word, or show a kind deed; and while we may not see any immediate results, it is God who nurtures the seed that eventually bears fruit.

Brad and I left most of the acorns for the blue jays, but he chose three shiny ones to take home to plant in his backyard. Holding one, he looked at me with big eyes and explained with his child’s faith that this could make a nice oak tree. Being the pragmatist that I am, I had to add that it would take a long time. But that did not deter Brad. He dug the holes, planted the seeds, patted down the dirt, and poured water on top. And then he left the acorns in God’s hands.

by Cyndie Hamley 2003