The heat………good GRIEF……the HEAT!! I thought I would pass out at times. Okay, maybe it wasn’t THAT bad but in my young-dramatic-teenage mind it was 120 degrees outside. It was always hot as we prepared our yearly garden. My Dad, having grown up around farming, seemed to love having a garden. Personally, I think he secretly enjoyed having my brother and I slave away in the heat even more, though he would probably never admit it. I remember it vividly as it was always the same scenario. First, I was sent a couple of streets over to retrieve and roll back my grandfather’s five thousand pound tiller (there goes that dramatic-teenage mind again, LOL). From there it was jerking and shaking back and forth until it felt like my brain was about to fall out of my head (if you’ve ever use a garden tiller you know EXACTLY what I’m talking about). Once the ground was prepared we set about planting the seeds/seedlings. There was always a list of things to plant….cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, onions, the occasional okra, corn, or watermelon. Days would turn into weeks. Normally, within a few months we would begin seeing the first fruits of our labor. For some seeds it took longer to produce a harvest and others produced very early on. I don’t remember a year passing when we didn’t experience growth. Without fail the seeds planted brought forth exactly what was expected. There was a bountiful harvest of veggies throughout the summer months that fed our family through most of the fall and winter.
The same can be said in life. If a seed is planted, it will bring forth a harvest–and we both know I’m not referring to food any longer. Whether the harvest is good or bad relies solely on the seed being placed in the ground. I can’t speak for anyone else but I’ve learned this lesson the hard way on numerous occasions. Galations 6:7-9 reminds us, “7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” It’s not always easy to do the right thing. If we’re being honest it’s easier NOT to do the right thing when facing a dilemma. In the heat of the moment our instinct is to cut corners and take the easy way out. We all have those thoughts though it doesn’t make it right or permissible. Take a look at your life right now. Are you happy with the way things are going? Now, reflect on the choices you have made over the past weeks, months, or even years. Is it possible you’re reaping what you’ve sown? I realize there are some things in life that can’t be avoided and aren’t necessarily a reflection of the seeds we have planted (i.e. sicknesses and such). Life simply happens sometimes. But I find it interesting we blame everything on the devil rather than pointing the finger at ourselves. For the record, he isn’t powerful enough to do half of what we blame him for. He may have offered the negative thought/seed but WE choose whether to reject or nurture it. Be reminded, there are consequences attached to our actions. I encourage you to become more aware of the seeds you are planting. Take an inventory of your life. If you’ve been planting bad seeds—STOP! If things aren’t going how you would like, change it. Plant good seed. The next time you consider taking a short cut, just don’t. The next time you consider making a bad decision you don’t anticipate negative repercussions from–think again! Sooner or later your garden will grow and produce a harvest. The harvest you reap is reliant upon the seeds sown. And as the scripture above encourages, don’t grow weary in well doing. Stay strong, my friends! Doing things the right way isn’t always the easiest but it produces a harvest you will appreciate more. So, what does your garden look like?