Blog for March 28th, 2022
Planting Seeds
It’s that time of year again, time to plant. If you’ve a mind to that is. I’m thinking about it, it’s been a while since I had a nice vegetable garden, but with the price of everything these days, it might be a good idea, plus, it’s fresh, delicious and healthy.
There’s all kinds of seeds we can plant: flowers, vegetables, shrubbery, knowledge, fear, love, encouragement, hatred, patience, willingness, honesty. So many kinds of seeds to plant. The seeds of war are raging in the Ukraine as I write this. The seeds of racism and discontent are being sown in our country daily, like it’s another kind of war.
I think the whole point to a person’s life is about two things, 1. Who will you serve, what is your purpose? 2. And what kinds of seeds do you intend to sow? I suppose the answer to the first question will answer the second one. I personally choose to serve God and that is my purpose. Which means I try my best to sow seeds of love, forgiveness, encouragement, community and be of service wherever God wants me.
This blog I do is one such service, raising a grandson has been another. In fact, as we raise our kids, we are certainly planting seeds daily. What kind of seeds? For my son’s first ten years I was planting seeds of addiction all around him. My daughter was younger but seen some of it also. At the same time, there I was trying to plant seeds of manners, love, compassion, knowledge and trying to get them to do their best. I know how hypocritical that sounds, but nonetheless, that’s how it went.
I’ve sponsored a few women who were raised by die-hard addicts that were as scandalous as they come, but these women have shown so much heart, so much love and compassion that it blows my mind. It’s quite the phenomenon.
Living one way and teaching their kids a different way. And yet sometimes, that goes the opposite way. Parents/guardians do their best to set examples of what is good and right so their kids will take notice and grow up to be upstanding citizens. Yet, they can still end up doing drugs, drinking alcoholically and spend a lifetime taking advantage of others.
All in all, I still think it’s most important to plant seeds of love and encouragement. To role model and try to impart good ideas such as free & critical thinking. Doing the right thing, even when no one is looking. Being kind to others, that includes animals. Striving to make themselves better all the time and the community around them.
I’m not asking for perfect, just effort. When I go plant my tomatoes and carrot seeds, I know for a fact they won’t come out perfect and I know they will take a lot of tending to. A lot of weeding, picking off caterpillars and bugs. So that they will grow healthy and strong. Even then, the vegetables will be lopsided, puny, split, and eaten away by critters.
Such is the way of raising kids and cultivating friendships and relations. But I tell you what, when I bite into that fresh, home grown tomato or carrot or them green beans, I know that planting those seeds and tending to that garden was well worth it.
Planting the seeds of recovery has not only been my pleasure, but it’s also been and still is- my purpose. In my early days of recovery, I was very gung ho and gave it my all. I served on every committee there was and I traveled long distances to be of service. As I age, I have slowed down a bit and prefer to be behind the scenes of recovery. Phonelines, website and sponsoring one on one.
Last night we had some recovery friends over for a BBQ and more seeds were planted. One of our friends brought his little boy and as they were leaving the boy said to me “I have some seeds that I’m going to plant”. I thought how awesome is that? Even a little child wants to plant seeds. As he grows, he will be planting seeds everywhere, I’m sure, until the day he dies. As will we.
Question of the Week: Are you planting seeds?