You reap what you sow?

[springbreeze]

Dear friends

I have spent some time considering the ‘reap what you sow’ from Sacred Scripture. Mostly in these secular times it is quoted in secular terms of the here and now in this life.

I have found however that many good people sow a great deal and seem to reap very little in return in this life.

Surely this must mean that what they are sowing here is to be reaped in the after-life, but surely some of what is sown now must be reaped now if we are doing God’s will?

What are your thoughts on this?

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa

 

[Lisa4Catholics]

Teresa I agree,I wonder if the ones who have the “good life” and do not think twice about doing evil in Gods loving mercy do not suffer here because this fleeting happiness is all they will have

 

[Grace_and_Glory]

Just a few of my thoughts on this:
I think that we tend to reap what we sow in this earthly life, although because we are in an imperfect world we don’t always see it.

Also, like you said, this life is not all there is; we will see the full results of our actions and reap the benefits or punishments due to us in the afterlife. Even so, I think people do reap spiritual benefits when they dedicate themselves to God. They may not gain earthly success, fame, money, or freedom from pain and suffering, but they reap the benefits of a deep and lasting peace that gets them through everything that happens to them. There may be dark moments when even God seems far away, but the soul that has devoted itself to God will reap the benefit of perserverance during these dark times. Just an example from my personal life-since I’ve started going to confession regularly (for about four months now), I’ve become much more aware of where I fall short of God’s plan for me, and because of this awareness I’ve grown in my ability to recognize and resist temptation. I’m not necessarily a happier person emotionally, but I have gained immensely from what I’ve sown.

I don’t know if this is what you were looking for, but it’s what came to mind for me.

 

[gardenswithkids]

As I know you share my enjoyment of gardening springbreeze, I will speak of plants. Different seeds require different conditions to germinate. The great redwood tree seeds require fire. Many wildflowers in North America require frozen temperatures. Seeds will not germinate unless the conditions are right.

Some people may never see the seeds they sow germinate in their lifetime. Some of those seeds may lie dormant for years, but one day when the conditions are right, they will germinate and take root. Even once those new plants begin, many wildflowers won’t bloom for several years. And the majestic redwood trees take centuries before they mature!

In an area around my gardens, I still await blooms from some wildflower seeds I sowed a couple of years ago. I wonder if the plants are there or if they have been overtaken by weeds. Just as the parable of the weeds growing with the wheat, I can’t tell until the harvest what’s growing in my field. Maybe one year I’ll be pleasantly surprised, but if I don’t see something bloom soon I’m about ready to give up!

In my life of faith I am also impatient when I don’t see results. I don’t really know what type of seeds God has asked me to sow or how long they take to grow to maturity. I can see in my children that it takes years to cultivate what He has entrusted to me. Every once in a while He’ll show me a bloom to reassure me, but still I wonder if it’s just a bunch of weeds or not.

I also planted a few fruit trees near our home. They are still quite young and haven’t yielded a harvest yet. But I see in other orchards, many families still gather apples and other fruits from trees planted by their forefathers. I believe we still gather fruits from the seeds of faith of the early martyrs of the Church. They may be like the giant redwoods that vacationers travel from far away to enjoy. This morning I read a bit from the martydom of St. Polycarp, (a bishop who was a disciple of St. John the apostle and evangelist) and I can still learn from his example.

We may not see the results from what we have sown until the next life. But the seeds that we sow remain here on the earth and may germinate, take root and eventually mature after our bodies are planted in the ground. Upon the resurrection, I believe we will see God’s gardens in full glory.