Sowing and Reaping

I believe that some experiences in my life illustrate the spiritual laws of sowing and reaping. We may not always see immediate results from the good that we do in this life but sometimes we do.
Farmers sow to plant seeds and reap (gather a crop). The Bible uses sowing as a metaphor for a person's actions and reaping for the results of those actions.
Spiritual laws, like human laws, will produce results. St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians illustrates this law.
⁷  Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.  ⁸  Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.
A few months ago I had an appointment with an oral surgeon for a tooth extraction. I brought a book that I started reading entitled Miracles Do Happen by Sr. Briege McKenna. I’ve read some of Sister McKenna’s books in the past and find them to be easy reading with interesting faith sharing anecdotes from her life. She shared her insights concerning healing and the power of the Eucharist in this particular book.

 While I sat in the waiting room after filling out some paperwork, I started to read the book to settle my nerves. After about 10 minutes, the dental assistant I will call Shannon led me into the room where the oral surgery would take place. Shannon was dragging one leg slightly as she walked and I had the urge to ask her if she had hurt that leg. She said that a stroke left her in this condition causing her to wear a brace to assist her in walking. As we continued talking while waiting for the dentist, Shannon mentioned that she enjoyed running in the past. Her training as a runner led her to four Boston Marathon events including the infamous Boston massacre . I’m not sure when she got the stroke but it obviously changed her life and stopped her ability to run. I was thinking of a friend of mine who also ran the Boston Marathon a number of times including that infamous event also. He no longer runs because of a developing illness that he has currently.
 I felt that the book that I was reading was meant for Shannon so I gave it to her. I said it was written by an Irish nun who had a ministry to priests and other details. Shannon responded with a smile that she was Irish herself and she appeared interested in reading the book. She shared with me her concerns for her brother who was struggling with addiction issues. Then the oral surgeon came into the room (God’s timing). He numbed my mouth and the procedure went smoothly for the tooth extraction.

 By taking my mind off of my surgery and focusing on this young lady’s situation, I felt calm. I believe the Lord was teaching me a lesson to let go of personal issues. By helping someone else, I was helped myself because I felt relatively relaxed. The Novocain did its job and I did not feel any pain during the tooth extraction.

A week later Shannon greeted me at my follow-up dental appointment. When I asked her if she read the book, she said that after reading a few pages she started weeping. My guess is that she was experiencing an inner healing.

Another example of sowing and reaping occurred many years ago when I was a young teacher of junior high school students. After three years, I yearned to teach on a higher level and events led to that change. Since I worked a second job at the time as a supervisor in a supermarket, I had access to baked goods that were removed from sale after their expiration dates. In those days the expired items ended up in the dumpster. The manager gave me permission to take some baked goods since I explained to him that they were going to a large family whom I knew. To make a long story short, I found out about a new teaching opportunity from the wife of that family. It was about to be created in a post high technical school where I applied for the position and was hired.
If I didn’t bring the baked goods to this family, I would not have known about this teaching opportunity where I spent the next 32 years.
Praise God!