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Plant a Seed

Believe • May 5, 2023

I love to play in the dirt. Pulling the weeds, planting seeds or new plants, moving rocks, transplanting trees or plants, and creating new spaces in a yard brings me so much joy. As a young child, I would go out and help weed the garden, but I secretly loved it. At times I would go out and water the plants and then “fluff the dirt”. I loved how it looked, and I equally loved how it made me feel when it was done. There was a purpose in doing it.

Several years ago, I wanted to try planting something new in my vegetable garden. I always planted the same things knowing they were things my family would eat, but for whatever reason I wanted to expand and learn how to grow something new. I was going to try potatoes. The process for potatoes comes in many steps. You go to the local nursery and buy seed potatoes, bring them home, and cut them, leaving one or two eyes on each piece. These eyes will then root out in the ground and be the seed for a new potato.

I learned that you don’t just cut the potatoes and put them in the ground. You cut them and let them sit for several days as they form a protective skin to be able to resist disease. When you are ready to plant them, you can’t just dig a little hole and put them in and cover it. You need to dig a deep trench and then place the potato cuttings in, spacing them appropriately. Then you put some dirt on top to cover it. Because potatoes are root vegetables, you need to allow them to grow beneath the ground, which means as they grow and send up greenery, you will mound up more dirt to keep the roots and growing potatoes covered. If you don’t do this step, the yield will be small.

Caring for potatoes was quite a bit different than cucumbers that I had harvested in the past. It has always been impressive to me to watch the small cucumber seed, after being planted, emerge from the ground with small tender leaves in the spring, thrive, and grow into a large plant that gives a bounteous harvest through the summer and into the fall. The change over those months is astounding! Both potatoes and cucumbers can yield a good crop if they are cared for in the unique way each one needs.

What seeds are growing in us? What changes are we seeking in our lives? We all have things we know how to do that can help others. Are there things we want to learn more about to make our lives, our family's lives, and our communities better? We reap what we sow. If I had not continued to mound the dirt over the potato plants, there would not have been many, if any potatoes grown. If I did not pull the weeds, they could potentially choke out the plants I want to grow, resulting in no harvest. If I did not water the plants, they would shrivel up and die.

Am I taking the time to nourish the seed that is inside of me?

Sometimes we don’t recognize the seed that is trying to grow inside. It takes time and energy to understand that what we have is enough and valuable. Look at the impact that these ideas (seeds) brought to the world; duct tape, seat belts, and the barcode, to name a few. Who knew these items could forever change the world we live in. Duct tape came into existence when an Illinois mom, Vesta Stoudt, whose two sons were in the Navy noticed a flaw on the boxes of ammunition she was inspecting at her place of employment and suggested a solution. It was not supported by her supervisors, so she took it straight to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He sent it to the War Production Board; it was approved for use and changed the ability of the soldiers to open these boxes quickly. This tape was cloth-based, waterproof, and didn’t fail the soldiers while under fire.

Duct tape also saved 3 crewmembers of Apollo 13, again having a big impact on our nation’s history. What if Vesta had simply let her supervisors deter her from what she saw and knew could be improved?

Taking time to nourish the seed inside of us, in small and simple ways, will bring great things! Maybe one of your seeds is the ability to create marketing campaigns, write inspiring articles or books, and care for children or the elderly. Nurturing these ideas that are within us gives us the ability to see who we can become.

Plants need soil, water, sun, and weeding to grow strong and bear the fruit intended. We need basic elements as well to grow and develop. We need things such as encouraging and kind family, friends, or co-workers to talk with to help nurture these ideas. Resources whether that is money or connecting with others that have experience or knowledge in the realm we are trying to create. Whether big or small, it all makes a difference.

At times our lives may seem too overwhelming. Sometimes it’s that we need to eliminate (weed) something out of our lives (garden) to make room for something that is already growing and needs more space to grow strong and yield its potential. It may be that the deep-rooted fear or weed that is stopping us from trying new things that we feel called to do needs to be removed from our lives (garden) so that we can fulfill our purpose or calling in life.

There are many things that people are searching for solutions for. You may be the piece that holds the answer to what is needed.

In Believe, we are working to grow a community and culture that desires to help each other find and reach their calling or purpose in life. We believe that as we work together, better things can be created. We would love to have you join us in creating good in the world.