If you’re new around here, maybe I haven’t told you that I’m a farmer. In between warrior-momming, writing, and slinging oils, we raise some of our own food and I grow cut flowers. We grow a rainbow of colors and varieties and sell bouquets & do weddings throughout the summer. To be I honest I tried to ease back on the flower biz a bit, but every spring I can’t resist sowing hundreds of flower seeds and enjoying their beauty all summer long! (I mean, who could?) So I might as well share, right?

Well, today I’d like to introduce you to Cynoglossum, in the borage family. They’re also called Chinese Forget-Me-Nots or Chinese Hound’s Tongue. Whatever you call them, they are light blue, almost fluorescent little flowers that grow on a bushy plant with many stems. When they go to seed, the seeds are sort of like Velcro little burs and there are hundreds on every plant. They stick to our clothes, to our pets and end up in a large radius from the original plant. They’re incredibly willing to self sow.

That means everywhere that I’ve ever grown them, more come up. But those plants don’t come up and remain fruitless stems. They flower and go to seed and produce another generation and those continue to the same. They are so prolific that it’s illegal to buy seed in some states. Although they’re adorable, they’re labelled as noxious weeds. And seriously, my local weeds (thistles and knapweed) don’t stand up to it!

But if you think about it, that is the kind of power Jesus’ gospel has. He gathered some disciples with the message of His Kingdom. He taught them, showed them and then sent them out in pairs to do the same. Opposite of a noxious weed however, the fruitfulness of the gospel has the ability to choke out weeds: lies, fear, hatred and doubt. That’s why evangelism isn’t just for the unsaved. We as believers need to remind one another of the good news all the time!

Another thing that just floats my boat about this multiplication through the gospel is that it can and should take place through every single one of us. You don’t have to be an ordained minister or reach a certain level in the game of life to produce this fruit. You will need to strap on the shoes of the gospel when you get out of bed in the morning, though. Obviously, simply walking in the spirit is a great way to produce this kind of fruit. You could also ask God to point out opportunities to “show and tell” his love and grace throughout your day, even if it’s simply through hard work with a good attitude or an encouraging word.

Do you think we sometimes feel like our enemy has the more prolific message? I wonder if we forget that we fight a defeated foe. But when we choose to live out and spread the gospel message, darkness shrivels away. (Kind of like every plant or weed that might try to grow near my patch of Cynoglossum.) I hope in the coming week, you strap on those shoes with great hope and courage. Let your everyday stuff be an extraordinary testimony for God’s glory. It doesn’t require flair or a platform or even a bumper sticker, just bearing the fruit of the spirit whatever your calendar holds.

In a world of thistles, be a cynoglossum.