Planting Hope: The Power of Saying 'Yes' to Life

If you search for the meaning of a mustard seed, you'll find it described as something small and seemingly insignificant that can carry immense significance. This is because the mustard seed, when planted and nurtured, grows from the tiniest seed into a large beautiful bush. The mustard seed reminds us that the smallest beginnings can lead to profound transformations.

At 19, I found myself pregnant with my first child. I was young and immature, yet I had already faced more hardships than most people my age. My father had recently died and I was still dealing with the aftermath of surviving a traumatic, life-threatening dating relationship in my earlier teenage years. My boyfriend, the father of my child, wasn’t abusive, but I knew he would not be a reliable parent.  My remaining family loved me, but they had their own lives and struggled to fully support my pregnancy; this meant I knew I would be raising my child alone.  I was also fired from my job when my employer learned I was pregnant. All these circumstances were far from ideal for bringing a child into the world, but one thing was very clear. 

She was already here…I was already a mother.

Even though she was tiny—seemingly insignificant - she was already making her immense significance known. My body was responding to her growth, my emotions, cravings, and sleep patterns shifted to nurture her. As my body kept up the work of mothering her, my brain began to catch up. I started to think about my future… our future. My vision expanded beyond the reality of my circumstances. Yes, there were many unknowns. Yes, people had their opinions about what I should do. But underneath all the noise, I discovered my heart, which knew I had been entrusted with a gift. I sensed this pregnancy was God’s way of offering me a fresh start.

The soil of my heart was ready, even though the garden bed in which this little seed had been planted was rocky.  I found the courage to say “yes” to my heart.  This “yes” became my hope. 

I held onto my newfound hope as I began to make decisions to create a life for her when she left my body.  Choice by choice I stepped into the unknown for her.  I got my small unemployment cheque and signed up for the subsidized housing waitlist while I researched education opportunities and how to pay for them.  After she was born I received 6 months of maternity leave and then I began working and pursuing my education. 

Dating as a young single mom was very different than all my peers.  I looked for different qualities in my partner and I moved a lot slower.  In time I met a man who was perfect for our little family of 2.  When my daughter was 10, I married him and we became a family of 3. A little more time and our family of 3 became a family of 4 with the birth of our son. As my family grew, I was being entrusted, again, with more relationships.  Each relationship increased the love in my life and also the responsibility.  

The realities of parenting and married life began to reveal parts of me that had been shaped by the traumas of my past. I had built a wall of control and independence to guard myself from vulnerability and judgment.  But that very wall I built to protect was now damaging the relationships I held dear. In my desire to be better for my family, I knew I needed to face these deeply rooted fears and get help. 

With my husband’s encouragement, I turned to the Catholic faith of my childhood. This marked the beginning of my healing journey. I rediscovered the heart I had connected with when I was 19 alone and pregnant, but this time I wasn’t alone—I had opened my heart to Jesus. As I embraced His love, I realized how I had been relying on my own strength rather than trusting Him. The more I surrendered control, the more my deep-rooted need to manage everything and everyone started to heal.  Through Jesus, I realized that even during the times when others had rejected me as a young, single mother, He had never turned away. He was proud of me for embracing the life He had entrusted to me. He loved me, my daughter, and our family.

Motherhood gave me the courage to seek the healing I needed. Being a mother is not without its challenges but it is perfectly designed to lead us to true fulfillment, if we let it. We discover who we are and a deeper meaning and purpose to life. 

Thousands of years ago, Jesus used the example of a mustard seed to describe the kingdom of God. He said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his garden; and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

Today, that tiny mustard seed of life I nurtured years ago has blossomed into a thriving, vibrant family. The kingdom of God is alive in our family, and it is within this kingdom that we find all that is good, true, and beautiful.

Where would I be if I hadn’t embraced life? I don’t know. But I do know that I would not be the woman, wife and mother I am now.  I know the world would not include the presence and love of my children or the love of my marriage and this would be a world of less.  The only thing I would do differently is turn to Jesus sooner.

Be courageous! Embrace life everyday! And the kingdom of God will be built among you.