A Time to Plant

Planting is a lot of work, but the harvest is worth it.

This weekend, my hubby and I finally got our little garden started. We are trying a raised bed because we just weren’t up to fighting with the weeds. We are a little late getting started, but we have had an unseasonably cold spring and a winter that simply refuses to acknowledge his time to go.

We got an early morning start and left the two teens in the bed. We started at a local seed shop. They were already busy when we arrived. Everyone was walking around attempting to pick out the perfect tomato plant along with all of the rest of the veggies.

What caught my eye was an elderly gentleman on a scooter. He even had an oxygen tank he was hauling along. He had a younger woman with him, perhaps his daughter, and was giving her instructions about which plants to pick. This man couldn’t even get up and walk around, but was planting veggies.

What makes growing your own vegetables so important? I mean, it’s a lot of work and Georgia summers are just about as hot as it gets here on planet earth. I filed these questions away as we headed to Lowe’s to pick up some other needed items.

Lowe’s was predictably packed on a beautiful Saturday, even if it was early. Here again, I noticed many seniors picking out vegetables plants. These are likely people who had to grow their own food at one time. You would think that they would enjoy the convenience of the grocery store, but apparently not.

Now there’s been a lot said lately about buying local and growing our own food. It’s all over Facebook among other places, but these seniors probably don’t even have a Facebook account. This is not a new fad for them. It’s not a cool trend. It’s a way of life.

I always pay attention to what folks with gray hair are doing. They have a certain amount of wisdom that can only be acquired by living. They know that planting a simple green plant in the ground and watering it and fertilizing it is one of the few times we get to assist God in giving life. We get to help create something that’s made to nourish our bodies. That really is kind of amazing.

The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3, “There’s a time for everything and every activity under heaven.” It gives a long list, but one of the activities listed, is a time to plant.

The thing about planting is it involves nurture, hard work and patience. There’s some perseverance involved when you are battling pests. (Anyone recognize some fruits of the Holy Spirit here?) Sometimes you have to work a long time before you actually get any fruit or vegetables from your labors, but when you do, it’s the most gratifying feeling ever.

Sometimes life is the same. Sometimes we feel like we work and work at something, but don’t see results. (Think: dieting, teaching kids to pick up after themselves, house training a pet, working on improving a marriage, fill in the blank…..)

Maybe it’s just simply our time to plant. There will eventually be a time to harvest. The Bible says so, but perhaps we should just keep on planting and nurturing what we are given to do. If we are diligent and don’t give up, the harvest is likely to be spectacular!

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂