Digging In The Dirt - A Bumper Crop

Digging in the Dirt - A Bumper Crop

IN ADDITION to our garden, my dad had a small peach orchard. Some years the peaches were sweet, juicy, and fragrant. Other years they were wormy—literally. But one year, due to perfect growing conditions, we had an excessive crop of peaches. The fruit seemed to be running out our ears!

We ate them whole, sitting on the picnic table in the backyard. We ate them on cereal. We ate them on ice cream. We made homemade preserves. We made pies and cobblers. And when we couldn’t stand to eat one more peach, my parents sliced them and stored them away in the deep freezer for use in the fall and winter.

But those crazy peach trees kept producing, as did the green beans, the squash, and the tomatoes . . .

So my dad and I gathered up our excess bounty and filled the trunk of our blue Ford Custom 500 with grocery sacks full of loot. Then we drove door-to-door in our little town to give away our bumper crop. We took them to elderly neighbors, too frail to garden, and to neighbors with smaller yards than our own. After we provided fruit to these folks, we traveled on to our neighbors who also had gardens; those were the ones who sent us away with some of their own excess: fresh watermelons, cantaloupe, and corn. Wow! What a treat . . . we weren’t expecting more food in return—especially my favorite, watermelon!

There is a talent, character trait, or specific knowledge that you have in abundance that someone else can benefit from. Experience. Encouragement. Specific knowledge in a trade or industry. A network of contacts. Expertise in some area of running the home. You possess something that, if you’d be willing to share it, would bring you so much more in return.

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. (Galatians 6:9-10)

I find it interesting that some of the most successful, powerful people are also the most gracious. Gracious with their time, with their network, and with their counsel. What do you think came first—their success or their willingness to share their abundance?