When a seed begins, it already has it's potential written within. The kind of plant it can become, what type of fruit it can produce, etc. But left to itself, and that seed will stay just as little, with it's hard-shell coating to protect all that valuable information. It could become more, and offer more to the world, but without assistance, it will never be more than just a seed. Small and unnoticed.
When a seed is submerged in water, it swells and breaks free from it's outer coat and begins to make it's first sprout! Put that seed in aerated soil with the right nutrients, and it will continue to release itself up out of the ground while simultaneously reaching down deep in that soil to keep it strong. As the sun shines its warmth, and the rain showers its love, that once tiny seed will reach far down finding its footing and then up high so it can continue to release the fruit that had always been intended for that seed to produce. But that seed is incapable of such an action, without first allowing itself to be filled to the point of being unrecognizable and trusting the process that it was created for.
That is you and me. Each person is God's created seed, with our story and potential already written before we were born! As a human race, we like to analyze our makings and have discussions about how marvelous we are! We think we are pretty important when science announces it's latest discovery of what is inside our hard-outer shells. We like to walk the streets all proud, gloating about what we have learned from other seeds with degrees about our potential, yet remain tiny and hard hearted. It is only when we recognize that we are created by someone greater than us and that He desires us to surrender ourselves to Him that we can become more. When we trust our lives in our maker's hand, he first submerges us in His life giving spirit. It's only when we let go of control and absorb the Holy Spirit that our outer shell then breaks free and we then begin to become what we were created for. But to continue to grow, we must be surrounded by the elements that will help us grow roots deep in truth so we can grow tall and stay strong in all weather. We need other believers who will encourage us; nutrients in the soil. The Word to help us know light from darkness; the Sun shining on us. And we need the Holy Spirit who refreshes our souls; the rain pouring down over us.
Not all seeds need the same amount of each element. Some require more shade, while others full sun. Some seeds can grow in drier climates, while others grow in very wet ones. As Christians, it's easy to create a cookie-cutter visual for what believers need in their lives to grow, but not only does God give us unique callings of what we will grow to become, he also sets us in unique settings that speak to the kind of person we are designed to be and invites us to dwell there with Him. We won't all be the same kind of plants, nor will we produce the same fruits. We are unique. We have different purposes in life. When we spread our seeds that we have been given through our own life trials and perseverances, those seeds will grow unique as well. Human beings ARE amazing and we should be in awe of how we are wonderfully made. But if we only focus on what we can see about ourselves, and don't learn how to live surrendered, then we are missing out on the life God intended for us to have, and the lives He desired for us to touch.