Recently, Mrs. Lynn shared with me some pictures of Ava who had planted some peas earlier this spring. Each child had an opportunity to choose and plant some garden vegetables, and Ava must love peas! I believe Lynn said she had planted 40 plants and one day last week she harvest 100 pea pods. Needless to say, Ava must have a green thumb to be gathering so many crunchy, healthy delights.

The stories and pictures of Ava immediately brought forth some Bible passages… One was in Luke 8 about the seeds falling on the different types of ground. The other was from 1 Corinthians 3:6-9…

“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”

It made me think of the kids that we’re blessed to serve at Joy Ranch. Sometimes, they arrive with seeds of spiritual truth that have already been planted by others. Often times, it’s at Joy Ranch where their soil is cultivated and seeds of love and Jesus are planted. Sometimes, we are watering the seeds, and other times, God uses different people to water and grow the seeds of Truth in their lives. As a supporter (donor, prayer partner, volunteer, etc.), YOU are part of the process of growing these children!

That’s where we all have to work together to grow this garden of faithful believers. We can all pray, tell others our testimony, read the Bible, attend church, participate in Bible studies, and encourage one another in our faith. It’s not only about the kids here at Joy Ranch, but about ALL believers!

Take a minute to think of seeds you’ve sown or watered in your life. Have you been blessed to be able to see the harvest? Let us know by commenting below!

Side note: In the midst of writing this blog, an interesting thing happened. I listen to Adventures in Odyssey with my own kids while we are driving down the road. We just happened (ahem) to listen to a story about planting seeds and reaping what you sow! Isn’t that funny how God works? There’s just another story from the Bible about seeds, planting, and harvesting. If you’re interested in some scripture on this topic, check out https://reformedwiki.com/verses/reaping-what-you-sow/kjv