Thankful Thursday: Seeds

When the seed orders start arriving, I am always more than a little disappointed that what seems like a fairly large investment actually fits in (yes, inside) our mailbox. (It’s a good-sized mailbox…but, still)  It seems that it should come special delivery…on a truck…with some sort of fanfare. There are a number of orders in a number of boxes, but still…a cardboard box in the mailbox is kind of a letdown.  It always seems SO small. And all those little seed packages inside seem so very…well, little.

All those little packages represent a sizeable (to my mind) investment and honestly, they look really boring.  No pretty pictures, no special instructions…just bunches of little labelled envelopes.  It certainly doesn’t look like much.

Boring or not…those little envelopes represent a great deal of our income.  With the proper starting techniques, good growing conditions and expert care and harvesting…we will eat incredibly well and have delicious vegetables for our customers all year long. The potential earnings from that small boring box in the mailbox are more than a little surprising to some folks. 

For years and years, we have made our living from what amounts to little more than a handful of seeds.

…and for this, I am incredibly thankful.

Seeds allowed us to teach our children some incredible life lessons as they worked alongside us on a daily basis.  Seeds (the crops grown from them) have fed our family well for years. Seeds have made it possible for us to make a living on our small piece of land and even give to those in need.   

With every handful of seeds, I see hope.  Each little seed carries the ability to grow and reproduce…the potential to feed someone. No matter how small the seed, it has the miracle of life within it.  That thought amazes me.

 Every. Single. Time.

Those seeds (and subsequent seedlings) are a tangible reminder of the faith and hope that sustain us and keep us motivated to continue growing despite any hardships that come our way.

So, as I finally get the seed order off the kitchen table and filed away in the seed cabinet…as I clean the greenhouses in anticipation of starting the transplants for the first field crops of ’14 on Monday…as I anticipate the day when we are harvesting the warm, juicy tomatoes and the crispy, crunchy cucumbers (among other things)…

I will give thanks for the seeds that make it all possible!