If You Plant It, It Will Grow

Pumpkins, pumpkins and more pumpkins! Large pumpkins, small pumpkins, painted pumpkins and carved pumpkins! My favorite season has to be fall!

People are baking with pumpkin, drinking pumpkin drinks and using pumpkin coffee creamers! I recently saw pumpkin ravioli on a menu! Our markets, restaurants and grocery stores are saturated with everything pumpkin!

But while everyone is focused on pumpkins, all I can focus on are the pumpkin seeds!  I love pumpkin seeds! But not for the reason you might think. Yes, I roast them. Yes, we enjoy them. But that is not why I love them.

I love seeds because of what they represent. To me seeds represent life and multiplication. How can a tiny seed produce such an extensive branch/vine that can in turn yield several large pumpkins, each containing hundreds of seeds? What a powerful thing!

Never did this truly become a revelation until my friends told me their experiences. That is when I realized the power of the seed.

For my recipe for Slow Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, click here

The Pumpkin Seed

Decades ago when I lived in Pittsburgh, I had a friend, Jill who had purchased a bunny for her girls.  When the temperature was right, she would leave the bunny in an outside cage.

One day after cutting pumpkins, they decided to roast the seeds.  A short while later the girls grew tired of the project, and instead of roasting all of them, they decided to feed them to the bunny. The bunny loved them and gobbled all of them.

After a long winter with the bunny indoors, warm weather arrived and the bunny was placed outside again to enjoy the outdoors.  They kept noticing for weeks that the cage was a bit lopsided but they figured he was being a nuisance and tipping the cage.

A few more weeks and they realized it had become even more lopsided, so they decided to check. Well, lo and behold, I could hardly believe what they discovered! There were pumpkins growing under the cage! Apparently, a seed had escaped and fallen through the cracks. The seed made its way into the ground.  As the winter months grew colder, the seed pressed deeper into the ground and began to take root. Once the elements of spring arrived, the seed began to sprout.

Jill never planned or intended the seed to fall through the cracks and establish roots, but somehow that forlorn seed went unnoticed. Even though they never intended to plant it, the seed germinated and grew.

Red Hot Chile Peppers

Another friend of mine, Manny De La Torre, was a successful business man. He was incredibly diligent and continued to remain active long after his retirement. Much like my own father, these men continued their excellent work habits throughout their lives.

Manny had a garden the size of an Olympic-sized swimming pool. He would carefully and meticulously plant his crops and take them to the church food bank to bless people.

I remember one time he was frustrated with his peppers. He had planted sweet peppers on one side and hot peppers on the other. Yet when they were harvested, they were all hot peppers! Apparently, somewhere between the seed store and the planting, he was given the wrong seed. He never intended to plant so many hot peppers and he had a difficult time getting rid of them.

Basically, this meticulous man was stuck with the burden of harvesting a crop he never intended to grow. Even though it was not his mistake, he still had to reap what he had sown.

Similarly in our lives, sometimes whether we mean to plant a “spiritual” seed or not, like Jill, it can still germinate and grow. This seed can produce a bumper crop in the form of an unexpected blessing. At other times we can sow the wrong seed, like Manny. This seed can produce a ruined crop. When a farmer has a ruined crop he still must bear the burden of harvesting the ruined crop and preparing the ground for the next season. Like a farmer that has a bad crop, we, too, will be faced with harvesting what our seeds have produced. We must reap what we have sown.

Power of the Seed

Never underestimate the power of the seed. One tiny seed grew a vine that produced many pumpkins. In return, they harvested hundreds of seeds.

The seed that was not valued or highly regarded was tossed aside in an effort to get rid of it. Yet, it sprouted and produced a harvest.

Words Are Like Seeds

Our words are like seeds that we plant into our own lives and into the lives of others. Whether we are meticulous and make an unintentional mistake like Manny, or whether we are like Jill who tossed seeds without care, our words have power.

There is a price to pay for seeds. If not careful, you might end up with the burden of harvesting what you didn’t want.

Something To Think About…

Words That Hurt – How many times do we toss words or actions thinking there will be no repercussion?

Words That Build – How many times have our encouraging words helped change the course of action in someone’s life?

Careless Words – How many times have our careless words hurt a person and we did not even realize it?

Let us choose our words and actions wisely and carefully. Like the pumpkin seed, sometimes we toss words and we throw a compliment or insult not knowing how one small moment grew into something so big.

Sometimes our words were meant one way and they were interpreted another way, like the chili peppers.

I can’t even begin to tell you how many times, people have contacted me to tell me that my words changed their life and I didn’t even know or even remember what I said.

By the same token, how many times have I hurt people without knowing? How many times have we sown the wrong seed and have sown destruction into the lives of others?

 Good News!

The good news is that no matter what we have said or done, if we repent, ask to be forgiven and try to make it right, God will forgive us and wipe the slate clean.

The Reminder

Use this as a reminder that our words are like seeds, they can either produce a harvest and bless, or produce a bunch of hot peppers that can set those close to you on fire. Be careful what you plant because…

If you plant it, it will grow!

What About You

Is there anyone that you have hurt with careless words? I encourage you to take the time to make it right. It’s never too late to plant a new crop! When our seeds are sown correctly we will produce a bumper crop next season. If you plant it, it will grow!

Prayer

Lord I thank you that you are willing to forgive us for our careless words and deeds. I ask that you forgive me of any seeds, words or deeds. I thank you Lord that Jesus paid the price for all our mistakes. We ask you to forgive us and give us the power to use our words to plant wonderful things. In Jesus Name, Amen

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Other Scriptures

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.  Proverbs 18:21

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. Galatians 6:7

“What Lies Beneath” can be purchased by clicking  here