Hello Dear Readers and welcome to April: Seeds and the Mind. Ask Maureen
Have you ever tried to grow your own fruit and veg?
Recently, I made good use of a pleasant sunny day to plant out my vegetable seeds.
I bought a trug, a vegetable trough, a few years ago and ever since then I have tried my hand at growing herbs, lettuces, and beets. I have had a few successes, and quite a few failures.
My tomato plants did well. My brassicas failed. My spuds were like little bullets, and my carrots withered. My beets sprouted leaves and that was it. My lettuces were eaten by the birds and caterpillars, however my herbs thrived.
I thought all you had to do was to get some good peat free growing compost, plant your seeds following the packet instructions; give them a good water and feed them occasionally to grow.
My Mother was a great gardener. She had what you might call green fingers. Everything she planted came to fruition. Perhaps you too have these green fingers. But I guess like myself we have gotten out of the habit of growing our own food.
My friend who retired this year, also decided to buy a trug and have a go at planting her own herbs and tomatoes. She referred to her new hobby as baby-sitting. Watching and anticipating when her precious plants need watering, feeding ect. She reminded me that places that grow and sell plants are called nurseries. How apt.
I on the other hand am an amateur gardener. I love to watch gardening programmes. Enjoy other peoples gardens. Admire their fruit and veg, and chat enthusiastically about growing my own stuff.
And that is where it all ends. Yet each year I try again with hope in my heart for a good harvest.
Seeds and the Mind. Ask Maureen
You see its all about taking a risk. A calculated risk in some ways.
Some one said if you can visualise it you can realise it. Each year I visualise my beets growing big and fat and juicy. Maybe this year I will reap a bumper crop. Hope you see plays a big part in everything we do. But its more than hope. Its having the right attitude and mindset.
I think soil and seeds, are like the mind and thoughts.
Good soil rich harvest. Poor soil crops fail. Likewise our mindset has to be right, no weeds of negativity, to thwart our progress. We are like the seeds we plant, everything thrives on goodness, sunshine, a little light rain, and the right conditions.
The sower Mark 4 1-20 And the right conditions: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize
Yeshua, was fond of story telling. We call them parables. The parable of the sower is one where he described how the seed falls onto stony ground and the sun burns it up. Other seeds fall into brambles and get choked up. Yet some seeds are eaten by the birds. Some seed fell onto the pathway.
While others fell into the good soil and yield 30%, 60%100%. He then went on to say let those who have ears listen.
His Apostles asked him later that day when they were alone, What did he mean?
He went on to tell them the meaning of the parable. What the sower is sowing is the word.
He explained that the seed is the word of God, the good news. The seed that fell on the rocky ground were like those people who heard the good news. The worries of this world and their anxieties drowned out their joy. They had no roots so the word died in them and didn’t come to fruition. Like wise the seeds that fell onto the pathway. They hear the word but Satan comes and takes it away. Others hear the word and take it to heart and produce a bumper crop 30,60, 100 fold.
Seeds and the Mind. Ask Maureen
There is another saying by their fruits shall you know them.
We all know good people. We see their work, Helping others, in times of trouble. We say they are good neighbours, they look out for us. We also recognise a bad one. By their fruits shall we know them. Interesting again how Yeshua has used the simple little seed to demonstrate what is good and right in life.
Perhaps that is what we tend to do. We know there is a God who is our creator. And like the seed or word it fails to germinate and grow in us. There is a hymn: “Oh Lord my God when I in awesome wonder consider all the world thy hand has made. I see the stars I hear the rolling thunder throughout the world the universe displayed”.
So dear friends, perhaps I need more than just faith in my planting of the seeds in my trug. Perhaps I need to nurture them, so that they do germinate. By giving them the right conditions. And of course feeding them. Then like the good word, I will yield a good crop. I will become a baby-sitter in my nursery garden.
As we approach Easter spare a thought on Good Friday that our Lord and redeemer died on the cross for our errors so that we might have life in abundance.
Meanwhile I will keep you posted on how my seedlings are getting on.
Just a thought.
Interesting how a seed can be used to illustrate life. I wonder what you would choose to be if you were a seed. I will leave that for you to ponder dear friends.
Until next time look after one an other and remember a problem shared is a problem halved.
Happy Easter
Love Maureen x
If you wish to understand this subject in another way then come and speak with us on our Day of Healing” at Crosby library: https://lifebalancestudio.co.uk/healing-days/
If you like gardening then you can read, Lisa’s posts on gardening: Tomorrows Garden
It may be useful to read the following article also and if you have questions, then come and ask:
https://lifebalancestudio.co.uk/a-bumper-harvest/