I remember listening to TD Jakes interview with Steve Furtick. If you haven’t seen it or heard of it, you just have to. It’s filled with gems and mentality changing ideas. It’s an interview for his new book Soar.

Among the things he said (I picked tons). The part I want to talk about now is seeds… He said God told Adam to be fruitful and multiply. You cannot be fruitful unless you are seedful. Identification of your seed is what causes you to be fruitful. The first revelation of seed should happen in your family. You should have parents who are looking at their children, looking for seeds.

He gave an example of his granddaughter. They were to take a group photograph with some friends and family after church. The light was not good and he didn’t know how to switch on the camera light, without being prompted. She went to get a torchlight from where it was inside and flashed the light for him to take the picture. He asked her, don’t you want to be part of the picture? And she said. “No, I don’t want to be in the picture, I want to hold the light.” He said that’s a seed right there!

Later, he wanted to take a selfie with a timer but he couldn’t get the phone to stay upright. The same granddaughter saw this, took some books and propped the phone with it. Then told him. “Okay, you can take your picture now.”

He said he told his daughter (her mother), put her in Leadership class, Management class. The idea is to direct the child to where you can cultivate what God has planted in the child. She is a problem solver. That starts early, her instinct in a situation is to solve the problem.

Also, we all came with seeds and most of us are walking about as adults with these seeds dormant in us. That’s why if people get into the right atmosphere. You get to see them do things you have never seen them do before. But because we had parents who didn’t know how to discover and water the seeds. Had no clue or could care less, they lie undiscovered.

I heard this and I thought… well at this rate, it’s left for me to discover any idle seed in me. So, show me Holy Spirit, bring me to a place where my unknown seeds will burst out is now my daily prayer. While I watch me and discover me.

There is still a responsibility to my children. To discover their seeds, water it and steer them towards it. There are traits we see in our children and we are like… aww, so cute! Look at that! Did you hear what she/he just said!? How did they come up with that!? These are the pointers towards their seeds.

The issue is where do they have management or leadership classes for children? (Call me bush) but I never knew such a thing existed. I knew of that, as a course in the university. And as a personal development course but for adults (or teenagers, at least).

Not all children have management and leadership traits. But how do you discover the other traits? First thing I did. Was to have a book where I list down the seeds as I discover them in our children (separately for each child). While doing this I discovered some things I needed to work on. It made me pay more attention to them than before.

One method of nurturing this. Is enrolling them in extracurricular activities in/and outside school. That will help. Then, I thought. There are children who have similar traits in those classes. How sure am I that the teacher will recognize these seeds too? And distribute roles to them appropriately?

There are children who need to be encouraged to open up, or handle positions. And do it beautifully well when prompted. There is another group that requires no prompting. There are also a joy to behold when in action. There has to be a balance right? The one who needs prompting has to be taught to take action without waiting for a push from someone. The no prompting needed child has to learn there is nothing wrong in taking action. But should not out of excitement bully others to get his/her way.

Then, there is the class tailored for those particular traits. the leadership and management classes. There should be like classes tailored towards those trait right? Like what…?

I will have to learn stuffs like these also to equip me in watering these seeds in my children…

What have you had to learn because of your children?

What do you know about your children’s seeds?

Have you found yourself in a position, where you discovered a side of you, you never knew before?

How are you watering your children’s seed?

The memoirs journal has a place you can write the seeds you discover in your children... order for yourself and get extra copies as a perfect gift for loved ones and colleagues.