A number of weeks ago when Sandra and I were on vacation something happened, that now I can't recall, but it was something that reminded us both of my Grandpa. As with all other times when I remember him there comes this flood of memories of childhood summer vacations at my grandparents on their farm.
Some of the fondest memories were working with Grandpa in all aspects of their small cream operation on both the home farm and on what was called the "pasture farm" during visits in the spring and summer. I remember repairing fences and stretching barbed wire that cattle had torn down. I vividly recall the twice daily milking of cows, the feeding and cleaning of stalls. But for me one of the best memories was him teaching me to drive both of the tractors of the farm. For a young boy that was pretty awesome, especially when there was equipment attached to them and I was actually participating in some aspect of plowing, planting or harvesting of the crops.
Both the farms were almost all tillable acres and so each year grandpa would plant several different things. There were several hay fields but I also remember him planting corn, wheat and barley as well. There was always a time in the spring when the ground would need to be tilled to get rid of all of the weeds and growth from the previous year. It also prepared the ground for the seed that would be planted. Then came the planting of the seeds with a piece of equipment Grandpa called the "seed drill".
However once the crop was planted, I remember wondering why I didn’t see evidence that something was planted, even after a few days. In fact it took weeks before there was evidence that there was something growing in the soil. There was always time involved before I would see any sprouts. And to this day whenever I see a field in the spring that has been seeded and then get to see them again, I watch with interest how the crop planted progresses.
Another thing that I noticed is that whatever Grandpa planted was the crop that ended up growing and being harvested. If he planted corn, corn is what grew from the ground. Wheat produced wheat, etc. I also noticed that whatever he sowed, whether it was corn, barley or wheat… more came up than what was planted. One kernel of corn produced a sprout which grew into a stalk that held several ears of corn; each having hundreds of kernels.
I learned several things from my Grandpa but now as I look back on those spring and summer days spent in the fields I can see some valuable life lessons that were being molded into a young mind. Lessons like: what you sow is what you get, and you harvest in a different season than you sow because it takes an almost unbearable amount of time to see what you have planted to grow but in the end the harvest produces much more than what you sowed. And all those lessons are valuable and have life applications that continue to be formulated and used in my life. However the biggest lesson is that the planting is what comes first and that upon which all else happens. Plant and there will be growth. Plant and there will be a harvest. No planting, no growth. No planting, no harvest. It is pretty much that simple.
In other words, if you want love to grow and for there to be a harvest of being loved by others then you have to plant love. If your desire is for encouragement to grow and for there to be a harvest of being encouraged by others then you have to plant encouragement. If your desire is for kindness to grow and that there would be a harvest being treated with kindness then you need to be planting kindness.
Jesus said it best: “Give and men will give to you—yes, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over will they pour into your lap. For whatever measure you use with other people, they will use in their dealings with you.” (Luke 6:38)
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