An unexpected harvest

“A man reaps what he sows.”

— Galatians 5:7 (NIV)

My friend was given a clear demonstration of the principle of reaping and sowing. It occurred several years ago, when she was in her yard eating tomatoes.

She explained to me, she had a bag full of juicy ripe tomatoes. She enjoyed sprinkling them with a little bit of salt, as she ate them like a piece of fruit. When she had her fill, she threw the remainders into the vacant lot next door.

The following year her neighbor, who owned the lot, came to her door. She was carrying something in her hands to offer my friend.

As her neighbor held out a ripe juicy tomato to my friend, she explained, “I found some tomatoes growing in my empty lot … I have no idea where they came from. Would you like a few?”

My friend stood in awe. She thought, I reaped what I sowed. Who would have ever thought that these seeds I carelessly threw into that lot, would sprout up as tomatoes?

We have all experienced that popular saying, what goes around comes around. It’s another way of expressing God’s principle of sowing and reaping.

We need to think about the seeds we are planting that will come back to us. We plant a variety of them daily

Seeds of diligence and perseverance for our health, finances, or relationships, when continually planted, can help us reap a blessing in these areas.

However, the opposing seeds of laziness, self-centeredness and bitter offenses of all kinds are sometimes carelessly tossed without thought, just as my friend tossed those tomatoes seeds into the field.

God is our Gardener, instructing us to watch what we plant and where we are planting it. The choice is ours.

It helps remembering that our actions will reap a harvest; the day will come when we will get back what we give.

• Annettee Budzban is a Christian author of the book “Letters To A Friend,” speaker, life and writing coach and nurse. She can be contacted at annetteebudzban@aol.com.