This time of year, when all the pumpkins and fall vegetables are showing up at local farmers’ markets, I just marvel at the beauty of the season. It’s interesting to think that months ago, farmers were out in the gardens and fields planting seeds, hoping and praying that the harvest would be plentiful.
Planting seeds requires preparation, planting, praying for rain, and then watching for growth while fending off insects. My grandparents were farmers, and every year, they had magnificent gardens. When it came time to harvest, we all participated in the fun—as we kids saw it—but in fact, it was hard work. Granddad Hill would bring beautiful pumpkins up from the fields. Granddad Norton grew cotton, and when it was time to pick, it became a community-wide event.
There is something special about harvest, isn’t there? One thing that I do know is that at the end of the harvest, not matter what the crop, they all saved seeds for the next year. It was self-perpetuating year after year.
Our lives are like that, aren’t they? When we invest in our children and grandchildren by helping them establish a foundation for life, we are planting seeds. As we watch them grow and mature, we pray that the seeds we planted when they were young will come to fruition.
Planting seeds isn’t only about our own family; we can plant seeds in the lives of those around us who need encouragement. It may only be a few kind words of encouragement or a person that you mentor through a time in their lives. We will never have all the answers or even most answers, but when you spend time with a person, you can change their lives. Investing time is a gift we can give others.
As you look around at the beauty of the season, look also for someone who could use some seeds of kindness and encouragement. You will never know how a few words can make a world of difference!