She has cleared the area, built the box, hauled the bags of soil, dumped them into the box, spread the soil, dug a little hole and now she is finally ready to plant her seed into her first vegetable garden. She will care for the garden, weed it, water it and harvest the fruits of her labor this summer. One day the vegetables will be cleaned, cooked and eaten and enjoyed by our family.
Without realizing it each day we are doing what Anna has done. We are clearing different areas in our own lives and making room for our priorities. We haul our dirt and dump it somewhere (sometimes on the people we love the most) then we plant our seed. Sometimes we walk away from the ideas we have planted and no longer tend them. If we neglect those seeds they will die. If we do not weed the garden all that threatens our hard work will choke the fruits of our labor.
Sometimes the seeds of our lives are as simple as being kind in word and action. Sometimes they are more intense like cultivating our talents and sharing them with others. Other seeds in our lives that are much more complex are our children. Just as God has prepared a place for us and guides us, nourishes us and loves us. We should do the same with our seeds.
Today, consider the seeds you are cultivating in your life. Are they seeds of regret, anger, gossip and envy that you are growing and passing on to others? Or are they seeds of your kindness, talents, ideas and love for your family and friends? You continuously prepare your garden box and plant the seeds. If you want to enjoy the fruits of your labor remember it will take time, attention, hard work and determination but after the harvest you will be rewarded by a beautiful creation.