A Bountiful Harvest

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,
and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion,
for God loves a cheerful giver.
Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you,
so that in all things, always having all you need,
you may have an abundance for every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8

When I was growing up here in northwest IA, my dad farmed. It was a modest operation by the standards of that day. He carefully tended the land and saw it as an investment in the future, even though he did not own the land. When he planted corn, each hill of corn was planted 42 inches from the next closest hill and the rows were 42 inches apart. This allowed him to cultivate the corn either direction. Science has changed all of that and today seeds are planted perhaps 4 or 5 inches apart, the rows are 30 inches apart, the seed product is greatly enhanced, and a farmer may plant 30,000 or more kernels per acre in good soil. Corn yields have moved from 60 or fewer bushels per acre to well in excess of 200 bushels per acre in a good year. For most farmers, the need for cultivation after planting is a faded memory.

So, what relevance does this scripture and farmers planting and harvesting have to our spiritual lives?  This isn’t simply about planting and harvest, nor is it simply suggesting that we look carefully at our financial generosity, though that too is important to evaluate. In broader context we are reminded that God’s love and grace are not measured. They are generous, flowing freely, lavishly washing over us. Additionally, the passage prompts us to ponder the question if and how are we generous to others in all areas of our lives.

Today, I encourage you to contemplate what stands in the way of your sowing bountifully and sharing generously with others. When have you last reached out to a co-worker or friend in need and offered emotional and spiritual support?  Who in your family might need your time or care? How would those around you recognize your generous spirit? Are you offering love and sharing God’s gift of grace out of scarcity or out of abundance?  We are called to carefully tend the soil of our hearts so that as we liberally sow seeds of love and reach out to those in need, we reap a bountiful harvest of God’s grace, hope, and compassionate love.

Think about how we might change the world and ourselves if we all lived with generous spirits and lived by these words from the Dalai Lama: "If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another. If you wish to know that you are safe, cause another to know that they are safe. If you wish to better understand seemingly incomprehensible things, help another to better understand. If you wish to heal your own sadness or anger, seek to heal the sadness or anger of another."

Carol DeSchepper, LFCNA Executive Director