This years harvest was plentiful on many levels and for many people. This could be said in a metaphorical way as well as literal. Mother Nature was very generous with the sunshine and the rain. The vegetables and fruits grew lush and plentiful.
The branches of my friend’s apple trees hung low under the weight of all the fruit they bore. When it came time to harvest them, there was enough to share with not only friends, but strangers as well. She gave me enough to for me too not only make an abundance of homemade applesauce, but to also prepare and freeze for the future.
It is strange how the simple moments in life can sometimes bring about profound wisdom. As I stood in my kitchen peeling the apples, I began to think in broader terms. The bite size pieces were put into freezer bags with my special combination of spices and sugar, which were put in the freezer for winter. The peelings, seeds, and cores went into a bowl.
When the bowl was full, instead of emptying it into the trash and wasting it, I took it outside to the field and tossed it into the tall grass for whoever wanted to eat it. Some people would say that I was foolish. Who knows what kind of critters the peelings would draw? To them I would simply answer, why would I deny a hungry being food. I took what I needed and shared the rest. In doing so, I also spread the blessings I was given.
Although the peelings and the core will eventually return to the earth, each seed is a potential tree. I say potential because instead of planting them, I spread them and released control over their destinies. Some of them will be eaten. Some will take root. Some will not. Some be washed away by the rains and the melting snow to find other places to either take root or go back to the earth. By tossing them into the field, each seed was given the opportunity to grow into its fullest potential.
In each person, who lives we touch through word or deed, we plant a little of ourselves and they do the same for us. Whether human, animal or spirit, they come into our lives for a reason. We are learn from or to teach them. Usually it happens simultaneously. Yet, the meeting does have a purpose and a place in the grand scheme of life. Whether to heal old wounds or to bring blessings, we are the co-creators of miracle for each other.
Some people put limits who and how they help. Their aid comes with conditions. No matter what label they put on it, the motivation isn’t really help, but to control others. When fear or manipulation prompts the generosity, it is not a gift, but a bribe or bullying of others. It is like planting a seed in a pot and setting it on your window ceil and expecting it to grow into a fruitfilled tree. It will not happen.
When we help others with an open hand and heart, it’s like tossing our love to the wind and allowing it to go where it needs to be. We may never know where it will take root or what will grow from it, but it does not matter. For like the trees that spring up from the seeds, sharing our love will give shelter and nourishment beyond what we can imagine. It will help others develop a strong foundation for their lives, which in turn will give them the ability to keep the blessings flowing and spreading well beyond our expectations.
