Have you ever heard of seeds of doubt? You may have heard challenges to your faith, or had circumstances go against you, possibly in the form of something that you prayed for that didn’t happen. Does this cause you to re-examine your faith? It is best to address these questions, because seeds of this type will turn into weeds in your garden. There are other types of seeds as well. These are referred to in the parable of the sower and the seed, and also in the story of one apostle planting and another watering but God giving the increase.

Have you ever had an unguarded conversation? In your encounters with other people you learn very quickly what subjects are acceptable, what opinions are acceptable, and how much of your own vulnerability you can share. You may have known someone for years and know that things must  be kept at a superficial level, but with others you can go deep even if you have only known them a short time. So the quality of the relationship depends on the empathy of those taking part in it. Which type of encounter do you find more satisfying? How would you rate your relationship with me in this regard?

Diplomacy is considered to be better than war. It is a way of resolving conflicts without resorting to violence, and wars occur when diplomacy fails. Christians no longer go to war against each other as they did in the past, but fighting can be verbal even if it isn’t violent. Verbal attack has a very low threshold and is much more common as a result. Is it so prevalent that it seems like background noise that you no longer notice? Has strife become the default condition?

Do you see your life as a linear progression through time? Are most of the moments you experience routine and unexceptional and therefore not memorable? But in the course of your life you have accumulated moments that stand out, that you keep coming back to, that you share with others when opportunities arise for you to tell your story. What is it that makes these moments stand out from among the rest? What do they have in common? Are these exceptional moments times when the transcendent and eternal break through into full awareness? How can you structure your life to have more of them?