Seeds

I named this blog "Seeds" because after many years living here, I have realized that the most I can do in people's lives is push a seed in their ground and let God do the work of growing it. If there's a little green sprout in the garden bed, I can water it or work the weeds out from around it. I can nurture the plant until it grows up and has fruit of it's own to share with others. I can't force it to grow or create the energy it needs. Chemicals might speed things up but in the end, might not be the best thing for either the plant or the person who eventually eats the fruit they bear.

This is a biblical concept that is easy for a farmer to understand but sometimes it is hard for those of us who are, uh, city folk.

My grandfather (see photo) was born in Iowa and grew up working on a farm. He knew a thing or two about a lot of stuff that could be useful to the small time gardner working on their city sized plots of land.

He was an auto mechanic and in the yard next to where he worked, he grew tomatoes. I would visit him and often found him in the yard with a paint brush tending his tomatoes. The first time I found him with his paint brush in hand, I asked him, "What cha doing?"

"I'm pollinating my tomato plants," he said with a grin. He took the tiny paint brush and went from flower to flower (Okay, it's supposed to be called something else but I majorly FAILED botany. Like I said, I'm a city girl, big time.) gently brushing each plant.

He explained that this is the job of the birds and the bees but he wants to make extra sure that each plant is tended to and no future tomato bud misses it's chance to get pollinated in the whirlwind of nature.

I remember thinking that was kind of cool. He understood the concept of nurturing and not forcing something to grow. Something we all need to do as we minister to others if we want them to grow and bear the best kind of fruit, (or vegetable) that will bless and help others.

He sure was proud of his tomatoes. He would bring them home and proudly place them on the table for us to admire. Unfortunately, I had been told I was allergic to tomatoes so I never did taste any. I regret that. I'm sure they were heavenly.

"But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."......Matthew 13:23