be a seed of goodness today!
I have often said that we should be "someone" in the life of another. So often, I see people doing things for another all the while cameras are snapping, reporters are fielding questions and the spotlight shines on those who give because of the tax breaks they get in April. But hey! Wait a moment...is this the ONLY reason to do good for another...just to be RECOGNIZED? While we all like our 15 minutes of fame, this is hardly the reason to do that!
Read the story below and perhaps it may help you to see why we need to be that "someone" for another. It may not be spring yet outside MY window, but after reading this, the sun is sure shining a little brighter for me!
"When I was a boy growing up we had several gardens around our old house.
The largest one of all was used just for growing potatoes. I can still
remember those potato planting days. The whole family helped. After my
Dad had tilled the soil, my Mom, brothers, and I went to work. It was my
job to drop the little seed potatoes in the rows while my Mom dropped
handfuls of fertilizer beside them. My brothers then covered them all
with the freshly turned earth.
For months afterward I would glance over at the garden while I played outside and wonder what was going on underneath the ground. When the harvest time came I was amazed at the huge size of the potatoes my Dad pulled out of the soil. Those little seedlings had grown into bushels and bushels of sweet sustenance. They would be turned into meal after meal of baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, and my personal favorite: potatoes slowed cooked in spaghetti sauce. They would keep the entire family well fed throughout the whole year. It truly was a miracle to behold.
Thinking back on those special times makes me wonder how many other seeds I have planted in this life that have grown unseen in the hearts and minds of others. How many times has God used some little thing that I said or did to grow something beautiful? How many times has Heaven used these little seedlings to provide another's soul with sweet sustenance?
Every single day of our lives we step out into the garden of this world. Every single day we plant seeds that can grow into something wonderful. We may never see the growth that comes from the kind words or loving acts we share but God does. I hope then that you always tend the garden around you with care. I hope that you plant only goodness, peace, and compassion in the lives of everyone you meet. I hope that everyday you help miracles to grow."
~ Joseph J. Mazzella
For months afterward I would glance over at the garden while I played outside and wonder what was going on underneath the ground. When the harvest time came I was amazed at the huge size of the potatoes my Dad pulled out of the soil. Those little seedlings had grown into bushels and bushels of sweet sustenance. They would be turned into meal after meal of baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, and my personal favorite: potatoes slowed cooked in spaghetti sauce. They would keep the entire family well fed throughout the whole year. It truly was a miracle to behold.
Thinking back on those special times makes me wonder how many other seeds I have planted in this life that have grown unseen in the hearts and minds of others. How many times has God used some little thing that I said or did to grow something beautiful? How many times has Heaven used these little seedlings to provide another's soul with sweet sustenance?
Every single day of our lives we step out into the garden of this world. Every single day we plant seeds that can grow into something wonderful. We may never see the growth that comes from the kind words or loving acts we share but God does. I hope then that you always tend the garden around you with care. I hope that you plant only goodness, peace, and compassion in the lives of everyone you meet. I hope that everyday you help miracles to grow."
~ Joseph J. Mazzella
It's always easier to tear others down than it is to build yourself up, and easier to demand respect than to earn it. Of course, the easy way isn't always the best way. - Dave Tate
ReplyDeletehugs to you, Reverend...and to popparob also!
I have noticed there are some celebrities who lord it all over the media about what "they" do. Usually its just them throwing money at a cause but the way the behave you'd think it was they who discovered a cure for cancer! I just noticed that Reese Witherspoon, actress "Sweet Home Alabama," among other movies, headed up a task force against Domestic Violence!! Why has the media NOT snapped this one up?? This is a cause worth embracing, yet she does it quietly!
ReplyDeleteFarrah Fawcett did that movie about Domestic Violence and she took a lot of bruisings during the filming of it. The Burning Bed, it was called. The ones who have the means should be on the front lines setting the example for all of us, but there is no reason why we can't ALL do something too!
ReplyDeletetrue this...thank you!
ReplyDeleteyou just never know whose life you will touch today, so why not touch as many as you can by just being a person of kindness? It takes no more time to do that than to be a jerk, so just be kind!
ReplyDelete