The verse highlighted in this post is from the first section of our Investing Challenge.

“The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.”
~Proverbs 11:25

Being from the Midwest, I get to experience the seasons in full. I enjoy them all. Even winter with its harsh cold, has its own beauty that can’t be seen in the other seasons. Waking up in the morning after a winter storm, to a sparkling landscape is something everyone should experience. Eventually, the snow does melt and underneath it the brown grass reveals what cannot be denied, everything that was alive seems to be dead. This state of bleakness does not last long, however, and it seems every year brings a new novelty; I feel warmth gently replace the cold, hear the melody of birds singing, and watch color infuse the deadness all around. Spring has come.

Now I would never consider myself a gardener. But there is something about everything that is happening around me coming to life that causes me to desire to be a part of bringing that life about. This spring, going out with my sisters to help finish planting their garden, seemed an ideal way to contribute. Gathering the plants and garden tools, we prepared to get started. My vision of a peaceful morning spent with them in the sunshine, planting mindlessly, was dashed as we struggled with a high wind that continually wanted to carry everything off before we had a chance to plant it. Eventually, everything was firmly in the ground, and there was a certain sense of accomplishment of having completed the task despite the obstacles.

Except the task was not completed; the planting was, yes, but now came what I would not say had had a prominent place in my mind at the beginning of my desire to see life grow. The daily tasks of weeding and watering brings everything quickly into perspective. If we stopped with putting the plants in the ground and stepped back, thinking that what we had done was enough to bring this plant to full maturity and that we would benefit from the produce this plant would provide, we would be sorely mistaken. No, if we desire to reap anything from the task of putting that plant in the ground, we must invest by giving the plant what it needs.  This can be done purely out of wanting to reap the benefits and so going about the mundane daily tasks of watering and weeding will be tiresome and done carelessly. However, watching my sister go out daily to do these tasks, I have seen another perspective. A genuine love for the life that is growing and being a part of what the end result will bring is what motivates her to complete the task every day.

“he that watereth shall be watered also himself.”

What about our daily encounters with people? Parents, siblings, friends, acquaintances, how do we see them? As we “water” them by talking to them, serving them, taking time for them, is it motivated by, “This is what I have to do to have the end result of them thinking well of me and giving me something in return?” Or is it out of the love that our Heavenly Father has for us, and out of the daily receiving of this love that you water those you encounter? This is something that I read in a book recently, a question that I have started asking and would like to encourage you to start  asking also, “Father, how can I receive Your love and give it to the next person I meet?”

~Abby S.