A show of hands for the gardeners, please…. How did your tomatoes do this year? My heirlooms were yummy but few and far between. My cherry tomatoes, however, had a banner year! The whole family was popping them straight from the vine into our mouths. I’m actually a late bloomer when it comes to gardening. I didn’t really enjoy watching things grow (or the work it takes!) until the last few years, but each year now, I add something and see spiritual principles literally come to life in front of my eyes.
For instance, have you ever planted a corn kernel, and it grew a tomato? Of course not, as a rule, reaping what you sow is a theme that threads throughout the Bible. One of the remarkable exceptions is that scripture tells us what you sow in tears, you will reap in joy.
“Those who sow in tears will reap with cries of joy. Those who go forth weeping, carrying sacks of seed, will return with cries of joy, carrying their bundled sheaves.”(Psalm 126:5–6)
How does that happen? How can you begin weighed down, even brokenhearted, and end up overflowing with joy? You see, sowing is the vulnerable and hard part. It asks for trust before you can see results. It requires sacrifice: time spent, resources stretched, hope dug into soil that doesn’t look fertile. Tears often fall. It’s hard to start, to sow, to believe in what you cannot yet see.
That’s why this newsletter’s theme, Harvesting Hope, resonates so deeply. The programs and stories you’ll read about here didn’t just appear overnight. They are the result of seeds planted long ago- seeds of faith, patience, kindness, goodness, self-control, and love. At times, there were tears. At times, there was doubt: Can we really do this? And yet we kept sowing.
Just look at what has taken root! Because of seeds sown years ago, today we have a self-choice food Market serving hundreds of families with dignity. Because of faithful tending, we’re now walking alongside 500 veterans, ensuring they’re not forgotten. Because someone dared to sow the dream, we’re building an adoption program for children of every age– even teens about to age out of foster care- because everyone deserves a forever family. These are not just good works; they are harvests of hope.
One more lesson gardening has taught me is you have to sow your best. If you put a shriveled up seed in the ground, you’ll likely get a stunted plant or even no growth at all. But a full, healthy seed can become something vibrant. We can’t throw leftovers on the ground and expect a harvest. We don’t sow our bad seeds expecting good things. We sow our best, and then we water, nurture, and protect until the harvest comes.
That’s how Catholic Charities approaches its mission. We bring our best to the work. We don’t skimp on the seed. We don’t cut corners on care. We don’t accept “good enough” when dignity calls for more. We commit ourselves fully, because lives are too precious for half-measures. From volunteers greeting families with compassion, to staff members who stay late helping someone fill out a housing application, to donors who give sacrificially so programs can grow, each person is sowing their best. Our executive team doesn’t just steer programs; they pray, strategize, and give themselves fully to the mission. We prune where we must and pull the weeds of distraction when they appear, but always with an eye toward nurturing growth.
And the harvest? It’s visible in a mom who no longer must choose between paying rent and buying groceries. In a veteran who says, “I finally feel seen.” In a man who goes to bed knowing he has work tomorrow, providing for his family. These are not just outcomes; they are bundles of hope being gathered in. Friends, here’s the good news: you’re part of this, too. Every gift, every prayer, every hour volunteered- it’s all seed. Thank YOU for sowing your best and creating a harvest that overflows
with joy in the bounty!
Let’s keep sowing faithfully. Yes, there may be tears in the planting. But joy is promised in the reaping. And together, as we sow our best, we will keep harvesting hope.
By Jody Breuer, Senior Director of Development at Catholic Charities of Kansas City-St. Joseph