You Reap What You Sow...
Last October Courtney brought a pumpkin for Mom's front porch. She said the pumpkin was one of many she grew in front of her porch. The seeds originally came from Randy Kessinger's farm, which is just up the road from us. Courtney said he grew pumpkins and amazing Hubbard Squash.
The seeds traveled away from Spruce Run before they found their way to Courtney and eventually back to Spruce Run. Randy shared some seeds with one of his nieces. She grew pumpkins and the squash too. Her mother, Pam, gave one of those pumpkins to Courtney six years ago, and thus began Courtney's pumpkin patch.
Courtney saved some seeds from that first pumpkin and carefully followed Randy's other sister, Patty's advice for storing them over the winter. Each June she plants the seeds and reaps a beautiful pumpkin harvest. According to Courtney these pumpkin seeds always germinate, and she continues to share them with many friends who, no doubt, enjoy them very much.
The little pumpkin Courtney shared with us was a nice bit of fall decoration and we enjoyed having it. In fact, we liked it so much we kept it on the porch long after Halloween and Thanksgiving had both passed. I guess you know what happens when you leave a pumpkin on your porch for too long. Our little pumpkin began to rot. One day Clara got the broom and swept the pumpkin off the porch into the small flowerbed beside the steps.
We've already established my affinity for "throwing things in the weeds", so I instantly thought she should have taken it to the weeds rather than put it in the flower bed, but I didn't say anything. I do remember thinking I'd scoop it up later and take it to the weeds, but I'm glad I never did.
Early this past summer I noticed a vine growing in the flower bed. It reminded me of the summer Bobby had an extra cucumber seedling and suggested I plant it at my parents' house. I planted it in the flower bed, and Mom and Dad had a lot of cucumbers that year.
I knew it couldn't be a cucumber vine because it wasn't near the spot where the other had been, besides it has been years since the great cucumber harvest. I didn't even think about the pumpkin, but I let the vine grow because I was curious.
I was thinking about how our little pumpkin patch was planted so unintentionally, but pumpkin seeds were sown and pumpkins grew.
I wonder how often we sow seeds of frustration, irritation, or discouragement without even realizing what we've planted. Then those seeds produce fruit and we are surprised by the unintended and unwanted harvest. The opposite is also true. When we sow seeds of patience, kindness, and love, even if we don't realize we've scattered those seeds, the harvest will bring joy just like the orange pumpkins growing in front of Mom's porch bring joy.
Randy's pumpkins prove some things. Sharing seeds with family and friends produces a harvest far beyond what you intend. Giving a friend something as simple as a pumpkin can make a difference far beyond what you imagine. Though Thomas Wolfe would disagree, you can go home again, at least you can if you're a pumpkin. Whether you intentionally or unintentionally sow seeds you will reap a harvest. When you are no longer able to continue sowing seeds, the fruit of what you planted will continue and either be a blessing or a curse in the lives of others.
Thank you, Randy, for the lessons and fun your pumpkins are continuing to create for so many of us.
Whatever you sow you reap. I'm going to try and be more aware of what kind of seeds I'm sowing each day. I'm also going to grow more pumpkins.
"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Galatians 6:7-9, NIV
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