Seeds of Good Deeds
Growing up on a farm in Minnesota was very good for me and it taught me things that I have used ever since. Working hard and having chores to do has given me a work ethic that has served me well all these years. I was thinking recently about planting the crops. I am sure they are far more advanced these days but back then we had a four row planter. It had four compartments for seed. One for each row and a companion compartment for each which held fertilizer. At least that is how I remember it.
Dad always did the planting and my job was to wait at the end of the row in the pickup which held bags of seed corn and fertilizer. When Dad got to the pickup he would stop and I would help him get the bags, cut them open and fill the planter back up again. There were times when we had to replant because of hail or heavy rain. We had one low spot in the field which was very susceptible to getting rained out. It was the first place Dad would check when we had a lot of rain. If it was flooded, we would wait until it was dry again and plant it over if it was not too late in the season. We did that because we knew that if we didn't plant seed there would be no harvest. I don't know for sure where Dad got the seed or how he paid for it. But one way or another, we always got seed to plant so we could have a harvest.
This last week one of the ladies in my prayer group told me about a request from a missionary lady that I thought was quite unique. She wanted seeds to plant a garden in Africa and use it to teach those living there how to "garden", so they could share with the community. So I got the chance to partner with her by providing seed. What a great lesson that will make. Since we no longer are an agriculturally based nation, many of us forget how important it is to be planting seed if we want a harvest.
Then there is the issue of finding the seed. I am convinced that we can find it if we look for it. Even if you have to ask for help to get started. And remember, you have to save seed to plant next year, so don't eat it all. Let me tell you about some people who looked around and found seed to plant.
We have an usher in our church who likes to bake bread so each day during the quarantine he bakes bread and shares it with his neighbors. Another friend of ours does a lot of sewing and since she just retired she started making masks. She needed help, so several people have provided supplies and help her with making the masks. At last count she had given away over 1300 masks. Then there is me. I would like to give more but finding money is not always easy. Then I thought about the extra money I pay on my car payment, so I have decided to give that to help others instead. My car will still get paid off but I don't have to wait to help others. I can do it now.
Last week I challenged myself to make a goal and share it. I thought about it and prayed about it frequently. I wanted to set a financial goal and I remembered that Mark Batterson said in his book "The Circlemaker" that all his financial goals were giving goals. That made a lot of sense to me so my goal is to give more. This year I will start with the extra car payment money and each year I will plan to increase my giving amount as much as I can. I am excited to see what God will do. But, in addition, I want to spend more time and energy planting good deeds.
I have decided to stop my weekly blog for now. It is still quite likely that I will write one now and again when I feel like I have something valuable and helpful to say. Maybe my new goals will provide more to say. So that is all for now. Take care and be blessed. If you need me, I'll be out planting. Just a thought.
Dad always did the planting and my job was to wait at the end of the row in the pickup which held bags of seed corn and fertilizer. When Dad got to the pickup he would stop and I would help him get the bags, cut them open and fill the planter back up again. There were times when we had to replant because of hail or heavy rain. We had one low spot in the field which was very susceptible to getting rained out. It was the first place Dad would check when we had a lot of rain. If it was flooded, we would wait until it was dry again and plant it over if it was not too late in the season. We did that because we knew that if we didn't plant seed there would be no harvest. I don't know for sure where Dad got the seed or how he paid for it. But one way or another, we always got seed to plant so we could have a harvest.
Then there is the issue of finding the seed. I am convinced that we can find it if we look for it. Even if you have to ask for help to get started. And remember, you have to save seed to plant next year, so don't eat it all. Let me tell you about some people who looked around and found seed to plant.
We have an usher in our church who likes to bake bread so each day during the quarantine he bakes bread and shares it with his neighbors. Another friend of ours does a lot of sewing and since she just retired she started making masks. She needed help, so several people have provided supplies and help her with making the masks. At last count she had given away over 1300 masks. Then there is me. I would like to give more but finding money is not always easy. Then I thought about the extra money I pay on my car payment, so I have decided to give that to help others instead. My car will still get paid off but I don't have to wait to help others. I can do it now.
Last week I challenged myself to make a goal and share it. I thought about it and prayed about it frequently. I wanted to set a financial goal and I remembered that Mark Batterson said in his book "The Circlemaker" that all his financial goals were giving goals. That made a lot of sense to me so my goal is to give more. This year I will start with the extra car payment money and each year I will plan to increase my giving amount as much as I can. I am excited to see what God will do. But, in addition, I want to spend more time and energy planting good deeds.
I have decided to stop my weekly blog for now. It is still quite likely that I will write one now and again when I feel like I have something valuable and helpful to say. Maybe my new goals will provide more to say. So that is all for now. Take care and be blessed. If you need me, I'll be out planting. Just a thought.
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