A Little Garden | The Story Behind This Site

THE STORY BEHIND THIS SITE

A Little Garden: Stories, Scripture & Faith

woman holding brown basket with yellow flowers

My parent didn’t own a garden, but they were always planting seeds. Little seeds, not of grain or fruit, but of faith.

Dad would tell me about walking to school for two hours every day, across rocky roads and rice fields in his village in Mangalore. About coming to Mumbai as a young boy, knowing barely a few words of English and having no college degree. And how despite all this, God moved mountains for him.

Mum’s stock of stories was inexhaustible. She shared memories of a simple but unwavering faith learnt from her parents, of choosing God’s ways rather than her own, of prayers that saved my life and hers.

My parents’ stories didn’t just get me through meals I was too fidgety to eat. They instilled in me a faith whose roots went deep, deep down into the innermost soil of my heart.

How the Smallest of Seeds began

Fast-forward a few decades and I found myself sharing my own stories and listening to friends share theirs. We shared the joys and struggles of living out our calling to become better spouses, parents, and disciples — often over a cup of chai or coffee.

The Smallest of Seeds was an idea that took root in my heart during one such thoughtful, animated conversation, when a sweet friend said, “Thanks for planting these little seeds, Vel.” I thanked her, too, for her words of wisdom. And we spoke of how God had given us to each other, to build each other up. As I walked home that day, a spark was lit in a corner of my heart. To reach out to others. To those who like me were trying to run the good race even on hard days.

At Smallest of Seeds, my goal is to help others see and serve Christ right where they are, turning the ordinary into encounters with God.

What can you hope to find here?

Practical ideas for living our faith well, right where we are
Stories of saints who inspire us to walk the path that leads to heaven
Reflections rooted in scripture
A growing library of prayers for all occasions, as well as printables and guides

The little I have

I don’t have it all figured out. Some days I stumble, some days I soar. But I’m here to offer what little I have, even if it be the smallest of seeds.

man planting sapling pexels photo 4207908

The Kingdom parable of the mustard seed, to which this blog owes its name, is just two verses tucked inside a rich gospel full of bigger events and miracles. But it holds a truth that has echoed through my life again and again: that much of the work God does in our lives begins with the small and the unseen.

A child’s question.
A late-night act of forgiveness.
A Psalm that calls out to us.
A friend whose gentle guidance convicts our hearts.

The tender Gardener gently helps us along with tiny seeds of grace, sown in these little moments.

In this little patch of the Internet, my own little garden so-to-speak, I hope to plant tiny seeds of faith, hope and love in the heart of anyone who stops by. I pray He works while I write.

After all, I am simply called to do the sowing. It is He who makes the plant grow.