Blog – 11-2-16
Harvest, that time of year when the landscape around Iowa is filled with the sights and sounds of busy farmers gathering their crops.
As I think about the farming process, it’s really pretty amazing to think about what comes from a tiny little seed. Seed corn seeds are not very big, yet the mature corn plants grow to be 8 to 12 feet high over a relatively short growing period.
As I watched the field outside my front windows being harvested last weekend, it got me thinking about the seeds we sow in our daily lives.
Just like farmers hold great power in their fields and have the ability to feed the world, we also hold great power in the seeds we sow. We have the ability to cultivate positive or negative experiences and attitudes in our lives and the lives around us. When we plant seeds of negativity, things like bitterness, resentment, anger and hatred, our harvest is not pleasant. It will be filled with strained relationships, unhappiness, shattered dreams, and homes filled with turmoil.
On the other hand, if we are planting positive seeds, things like love, joy, grace, and mercy, our harvest will be good and plentiful as our lives are filled with healthy relationships, strong family connections, a strong self-image, and the drive to reach for our dreams.
When we show love, grace and mercy to others, we are coming alongside God and partnering with Him. We are helping set in motion a positive cycle where others can sow and reap the benefit of our actions. When we sow seeds of grace and love to others, they are much more likely to give it right back to us and pass it on to others as well. The small seed becomes much bigger than we imagined!
Think about it. A farmer would never plant soybeans and expect to harvest corn. It doesn’t make any sense. By the same token, why do we think we can plant seeds of negativity all around us and somehow magically harvest positive change in our situations? That simply can’t happen either.
Maybe a good place to start is to ask ourselves, “What am I harvesting in my life? What kind of experiences and attitudes are growing around me? Is the soil of my soul positive or negative?”
What we’re harvesting will reveal what we are sowing.
The good news is you can absolutely do a little crop rotation! Change the seeds you are sowing! Start by simply being mindful of what you are putting out there as you live, work, play and co-exist with others. Be intentional about planting seeds of grace and mercy when people fail you, then cultivate and water them well with God’s unending love. Nurture seeds of faithfulness, serenity and peace. Let hope and joy find in you a fertile soil that will reap benefits for you and everyone around you.
Sow good seeds and then sit back and reap the harvest!
Hugs and love,
Jill