When I was a boy growing up we had several gardens around our old house.
The largest one of all was used just for growing potatoes. I can still
remember those potato planting days. The whole family helped. After my
Dad had tilled the soil, my Mom, brothers, and I went to work. It was my
job to drop the little seed potatoes in the rows while my Mom dropped
handfuls of fertilizer beside them. My brothers then covered them all
with the freshly turned earth.
For months afterward I would
glance over at the garden while I played outside and wonder what was
going on underneath the ground. When the harvest time came I was amazed
at the huge size of the potatoes my Dad pulled out of the soil. Those
little seedlings had grown into bushels and bushels of sweet sustenance.
They would be turned into meal after meal of baked potatoes, mashed
potatoes, fried potatoes, and my personal favorite: potatoes slowed
cooked in spaghetti sauce. They would keep the entire family well fed
throughout the whole year. It truly was a miracle to behold.
Thinking back on those special times makes me wonder how many other
seeds I have planted in this life that have grown unseen in the hearts
and minds of others. How many times has God used some little thing that
I said or did to grow something beautiful? How many times has Heaven
used these little seedlings to provide another's soul with sweet
sustenance?
Every single day of our lives we step out into the
garden of this world. Every single day we plant seeds that can grow into
something wonderful. We may never see the growth that comes from the
kind words or loving acts we share but God does. I hope then that you
always tend the garden around you with care. I hope that you plant only
goodness, peace, and compassion in the lives of everyone you meet. I
hope that everyday you help miracles to grow.