Seedtime and Harvest

 

I didn't begin writing about the spiritual nature of planting seeds, much less harvesting them. (I was born in the Delta of Mississippi, and if we hadn't moved to Chicago when I was two years, I could have claimed agricultural knowledge.  Actually, it would've been more wishful thinking, than anything.)  Truthfully, I'd discovered a cache of seeds an Urban Gardener Niece in Chicago had sent me two years ago.  Nor is the focus of this piece, the history of how long they'd languished, covered, and forgotten, in a cool, dry place.  

"Seedtime and Harvest" actually began as a response to a lively discussion one of my sisters and I had.  I was waxing on about the importance of planting seeds in another person's life.  And not being impatient when things didn't happen as quickly or how she thought they should.  I had done everything except break out into a "seed song" when she retorted, "Yeah, but you gotta eat, right? Asking I think, what is the person to do in the meantime? Always the practical one, this sister is!  I then approached it from a different angle.  With unbelievable patience, I explained expectations and division of responsibilities.  

My job I believed, was simply to plant the seed, water the soil a couple or three times, then turn it over to the ultimate gardener-harvester.  I would have done my part, I reasoned, with digging up and placing the seed.  No! My sister described an elaborate plan as if we were talking about acres and acres, and not just the one spot big enough to hold the one seed I had started with!  She segued into a "What about?" frenzy, which tired me out just listening. We weren't talking about redesigning the grounds surrounding a national landmark, for goodness sake!

Since patience indeed is a virtue, I tried again.  And gently spoke of past history when I had attempted too many times to recount,  to execute a brilliant idea that ended up as balled-up paper in a "round file."  I had made the mistake of assuming I should master each component and skill needed to bring the entire project to a masterful outcome.  From its inception to execution, that was the ticket to success! 

Unabashedly, I bemoaned the time wasted trying to direct every aspect of an idea, a seed, as if I were a high-dollar architect or seasoned project manager.  Just plant the seed, Girl! Then wait for the critical expertise to arrive, as it surely will.   And where Sis questioned, would all this come from?

"I lift up my eyes to the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
He will not allow
My foot to be moved
He Who keeps me
Will not slumber
Mh help comes from the Lord
My help comes from the Lord."