Sowing Good Seed

Once while in a youth development training, I read a story about a farmer who always produced prize winning corn. His corn was plentiful, plump, and sweet. People always marvelled over his award winning crop and often asked how he did it. He would always respond by giving them some of his corn seeds. Upon receiving the seeds, his neighbors would ask, "how can you give your prize winning seeds away?" The farmer would reply, "My seed is good seed. If my neighbors also have good seed, when their crop pollinates, it won't corrupt my crop." I read this story many years ago, yet it stills resonates in my head today. If one shares his good seed, it benefits him. You will reap what you sow. This is not just a quote from the bible or something my grandmother used to tell me. I have seen it and experienced it with my own eyes. I have seen those who have treated me badly receive the same treatment from someone else. I have also seen those who have done good for me receive good as well.

Having had these experiences, I am often baffled by those who live only for themselves. All around me I see people hustling to benefit only themselves, blocking others efforts to give, not caring about all of us to whom they are connected. In ten years of working in non profits, I have noticed that some, because there isn't much money to be made for most, engage in power struggles in an effort to attain a certain status and name for themselves within the industry. This wouldn't bother me if their efforts towards notoriety didn't impede my efforts towards helping youth. If they only knew that if they actually helped people good things would come to them.

There is a pervasive "What's in it for me" attitude in the world today. If we only help or give with the expectation of receiving something other than a good feeling in return, a lot of us would be helpless. If you think that what happens to someone halfway around the world doesn't affect you, look at it from a different perspective. Just look at the stock market or the implications of the US defaulting on its debt. We've seen gas prices rise over crisis in the middle east, or oil spills. After the earthquakeke and tsunami in Japan destroyed their nuclear energy plant, there were concerns around the world about radiation wafting in their direction. Everything that happens to each of us around the world sends out radiation, or pollinates good or bad seed.

So those of you out there who have a product, service, or art you promote, try giving support in some way to others and see how business picks up. Help someone in hopes that if you need help one day, that good you do will come back to you. If it takes getting something in return in order for you to help others, the story of the farmer with the prize winning corn should show you that you will. At the very least, don't impede someone else's efforts to help others. They are spreading good seed for you because when good seed pollinates, every farmer benefits. Love and light.

Text NOHUNGER to 20222 to donate $10 towards helping with the famine in Africa