Three more lessons learned form gardening

I left work and went straight to the garden to water and the tern the veggies that were planted last weekend. This had to be done because of the heat and absence of rain fall. According to the Star Telegram September 2014 now holds the record for the driest month in the history of North Texas, for only 0.06 inches of rain fell during the month. This is bad news for gardeners like me, and it means extra work to care for our plants. This takes me to the first lesson which is:

1) Care. Plants need care, especially when there is a drought. The plants depend on the gardener who planted them to follow up with watering, weeding and mulching. It is something that you have to do or lose the pants. In like manner all the relationships in your life need care and tendering. You have to value your business contacts, your customers, team members and your boss. Treat each day as an opportunity to “water” these relationships.

For example this can be done by genuinely smiling when people work into your office or when you walk into theirs. In some instances you have to take it upon yourself to follow up, with a phone call or visit. Take care of your relationships and they will blossom and your will enjoy the fruit.

2) Weed. If you do not pay attention to the weeds, they will choke life out of your plants. It is amazing that the weeds grow faster than the plants. Please do not ask me why. Get rid of the weeds in your relationships.

Watch out for anger, unforgiveness, bitterness resentment and the desire to get even with people. These attitudes easily grow out of control and will consume you instead. The words of King Solomon ring so true, “If you set a trap for others, you will get caught in it yourself. If you roll a boulder down on others, it will crush you instead.” There is a tendency to want to make people get a feel of “your other side”, resist this temptation and do not yield to it. Get rid of the weeds and your relationships will flourish and bear fruit.

3) What your harvest is commensurate to how much you sowed. Paul the Apostle said, “Remember this: The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously.” This implies the more you plant the more you will harvest. I am part of a community garden and our plots are 25 feet by 5 feet. Some Gardeners have just one plot, some have two and some like me have seven plots. You can tell from the numbers that our harvest will not be the same.

Be generous with your time, your resources, talents, ideas etc. Invest in others, and you will be amazed by how much your efforts will pay off.You maybe be screaming no! No!, this does not always work. You are right and we will discuss that in another article. For now just hold the thought that sowing more is the best thing to do.

Remember to care for your relationships, by getting rid of the weeds and sowing abundantly and your harvest will be bountiful. Till next time share this article with others. If you are curious about where I am coming from, I have a book that will shade more light for you. Check for the book on www.erictangumonke.com or on www.Amazon.com

Originally published at https://www.erictangumonkem.com on July 15, 2020.