Over the past few years, my daughter, Sarafina has talked about wanting to plant a garden at our house. Through an initiative of our local Farm Bureau and 4-H, she received some seeds to plant and one of the 4-H leaders came to help her. As Sarafina and Debbie planted the seeds, Fina started dreaming about the produce she would harvest to eat. She was filled with pride for what she was going to have far before she ever had the first plant busting through the ground.
She planted most of her garden in flowerpots. She had tomatoes, green peppers, and squash. She also planted some watermelons, pumpkins, and sunflowers in a couple places on the edge of our yard. When the rain was not sufficient, we would go out in the evening to water her plants. We were reminded the flowerpot plants needed to be fertilized because there was not a natural process happening to provide food to the plants. It was more work than what she initially perceived.
As we watered the plants, we had conversations about the bud or flower we saw which would become a vegetable. We would wait with great expectation for the day she could harvest the fruit/vegetable that was borne. After several weeks, we were able to have the first harvest.
Sarafina had dreamed of her garden, but it had not come to reality in previous years because she had not planted the seed. For us to celebrate the harvest, we must begin with the tending of the ground and planting the seeds. Jesus speaks of the importance of planting seed in his parable about the different soils. The parable begins, “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds” (Matthew 13:3b). We could miss this important step because the parable is focused on the soils.
This month, we will focus on the harvest as something for which we should be thankful and for which we are called to participate. It is a physical and a spiritual harvest. In order to celebrate the harvest, we have to take the initial steps to plant the seed into the ground or sown into the soils of people’s hearts.
Prayer: Lord, you have called me to sow the seed in hopes of a great harvest. Thank you for farmers and gardeners who plant seeds in the spring and will be bringing forth a great harvest. Help me to sow the seed of Your Word that it might grow and bring a great harvest. In Jesus’ name. Amen.