Be Not Afraid To Plant
“The one who plants trees, knowing that he will never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand the meaning of life.” ~ Rabindranath Tagore
Action. Reward. Action. Reward. Action. Reward. No reward? No action.
That is, pretty much, how so many people live their lives. They live with a “what’s in it for me?” mentality and they tie strings to everything they do. There has got to be some kind of benefit to their action or they will not act. Personally, I cannot think of a more sad way to live a life.
I am sure that we all know those kinds of people. Some operate that way with Christmas cards (I’m not sending them a card this year because they didn’t send me one last year.) Some operate that way with phone calls. (I called the last three out of four times. I’m not calling them until they call me first.) Some with meals. (I paid for the last two meals. It’s their turn to pick up the check or I’m not going out with them anymore.)
When we attach conditions, we begin to muddle our lives. Instead of living, we turn into bean counters. How many times did I versus how many times did they?
We need to get into the true meaning of life: touching someone else’s life without regard of any kind of benefit. When someone plants a tree, unless it is a really fast-growing type, the person knows that he or she will not benefit from its shade or fruit. It will be the next generation that begins to benefit from it. However, if we do not plant the trees, no one will ever benefit.
When we touch someone’s life, we might never know it. However, because of a kindness done, they might decide to go into a profession that will directly help others. They might even tell others along the way that they became the person that they became because of us. We might be long gone but our influence still touches their lives.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful, when we see God, to have Him say to us, “I want to show you all the people whose lives you made richer for what you said or did. You never knew what you meant to them so I am telling you now.” That, alone, would be enough to bring joy to the heart. But the following words will bring even greater — and eternal — joy. “Well done, good and faithful servant. Come into the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
FAITH ACTION: Do something for someone today without looking for any kind of reward at all.