Sowing the Seeds

     Today is the first day of spring.  We have had a short taste of spring here, although it has turned chilly again.  My thoughts have turned to planting flowers, vegetables, and all things green.  We have space to have a garden, but between my lack of time and my non-green thumb, we generally don't do much.  Last year we had success with some tomato plants and a small flower bed, so this year we might branch out just a little, maybe a pepper plant or some leaf lettuce.  Time will tell as the weather gets warmer.

     Lately, I have been thinking about other types of seeds that I can sow.  I have been doing a Bible study on the book of Ruth.  I realized that I have been like Naomi.  Rather than focusing on the good things in life, I allowed some seeds of bitterness to creep into my life.  I had a night a few weeks ago when I was just feeling down and out.  I was feeling left out of several things and rather than find ways to be part of the groups, I wallowed in my bitterness.  Naomi had reason to be bitter, her husband and two sons both died. She was angry and bitter, so much that she wanted to be called Mara, which means bitter.  She didn't think about her daughter-in-law who left everything behind to follow her.  She forgot to trust in God, that He would take care of her.  She allowed her joy to be taken from her...just I had allowed mine to be misplaced for a few days.

     Since that evening, I have tried to focus on sowing different seeds around me.  I have tried to spread kindness...even when I wasn't really feeling kind.  When I have wanted to respond with a nasty comment, I have taken a breathe and tried to be kind.  I have smiled when I really wanted to stick my tongue out.  There have been days when I have been grumpy, and I have tried to share joy instead of the grumpiness that I really feel.  A smile and a kind word go much further than meanness.  Right now, it seems that there is so much hate and anger in our world.  Some days it seems to be growing.  I want to choke out those weeds with the stronger seeds love and peace.  I can't change the whole world, but I can start with my corner.  I can show love to those who are spreading hate.  I can be calm and peaceful in the face of anger.  I want to sow the seeds of hope to those who have lost all hope.  I am a work in progress and thankful that each day is a new day!

     As I head into spring, I want to find more ways to sow the seeds that are pleasing to God.  I want to be able to say that even though I have troubles, I continued to trust in the Lord, I did not allow bitterness to take root.  I want to be able to spread the seeds of kindness to those who need a kind word.  I want to sow the seeds of joy to those who are unhappy and need a smile.  I want the seeds of love to chock out hate.  I want to spread seeds peace to those who need the calm.  Most of all, I want to make sure that I never allow the seeds of hope to die within me.  I want to be able to say what Ruth's great-grandson David says:

"But as for me, I will always have hope;

I will praise you more and more."

Psalm 71:14