You Reap What You Sow…

Did your parents ever refer to the consequences to your decisions as “Well, son, you reap what you sow”? Or may they said, “You’ve made your bed and now you have to lie in it”. Did your Children’s Minister ever teach you about “Planting the Seeds”? Were you taught that if you share God’s love to those around you that the Holy Spirit and God will do the rest? Maybe you’ve even physically planted a seed and you’ve nurtured it until it was a tomato plant or a small tree or a flower. Then, you are familiar with this concept in its most organic form.

 

…IN LIFE

Planting a seed is a beautiful metaphor for life itself and cause and effect are basic principles of how our world functions. When I was in elementary school, we learned about Cause and Effect relationships through If, Then Statements. They may have looked something like this:

• If the balloon floats into a tree, then it might pop.
• If you lay a candy bar in the sun, then it will melt.
• If you give Kirstin a chocolate donut, then she will want some milk to go with it.

It’s pretty basic, but sometimes I think we forget how it factors into what we are doing. I get worried sick that we won’t be able to afford this wedding or our student loan payments. Or I get worried sick that I will lose touch with my family. All of that is pretty preventable, but yet my mind still goes into overdrive and miss the middle of an episode of Friends. It’s as simple as making weekly scheduled phone calls (which I have recently put into my calendar) and putting away money instead of spending it on drinks or dinner. You reap what you sow in life. Here come more If, Then Statements:

• If you put in the time, then you will see the progress.

• If you give people love, then you will get love back.

• If you practice, then your skills will improve.

• If you save money, you will have more money.

Cause and effect shows us that we can work to get what we want. It doesn’t always come together that smoothly. Sometimes people won’t show you love back. Sometimes you’ll need new breaks and spend all the money you saved. Sometimes you’ll work overtime and someone else will get the promotion. But at the core, cause and effect have a hand in those instances too.

…SO DO WHAT YOU CAN, NOW!

As I have been exploring blogs throughout the WordPress community, I came across a writer by the name of Doreen. She shared a short but profound poem –

It is only what you sow

In the space of time you are given

That determines what is next …

If what you sow, or plant, determines what happens next in your life, why would you waste the time you have worrying? This struck such a cord with me, you guys! “In the space of time you are give”….do what you can. If you want a future with family and friends around you, then love them while you can, here and now. If you want to have a vacation home on the beach, then start saving your extra money! If you want a future of good health, then get to exercising! There is no time like the present to get it in gear. You reap what you sow. If you want to reap good things, start planting the seeds for it NOW!