Fertile Soil
By Steven Wayne Spencer
Spring is here and I love this time of year; it is a time of renewal and new beginnings. A time of planting seeds that will mature with the promise of the sunshine and warmth of the long summer days that lie ahead. As I was planting seeds this spring, I was reminded as first garden as a boy.
The promise of my first garden ended as an exercise in futility. The results were so poor for the amount of time, money and effort I invested. I remember having thoughts of giving up my desire of a flourishing, abundant garden and to buy the produce at the store. It seemed at that point much wiser.
That Fall I went to my grandfather's house. He had a flourishing and abundant garden. I swallowed my pride and told him of my garden experience and asked how his garden grew so well. He said, "It's all in the soil. I will help you." My grandfather convinced me to give it one more chance and said, "In order to have a productive garden, you must have fertile soil. The best thing is to add manure."
I remember thinking as the manure arrived, "Do I really have to touch this stuff?" The mere thought of eating anything grown in manure was repulsive. Based only on my desire and my grandfather's promise of having a successful garden, I spread out the manure and turned it into the soil. Winter came
and then transformed into Spring.
As I went back into my garden, I planted my seeds with renewed faith in creating an abundant garden. Summer came and I remember being so excited and proud of the results. My garden was flourishing in the manure rich soil. The produce was so fresh and clean sometimes I would eat it right out of the garden before I had washed it!
Somehow the manure had transformed into fertile soil and I was happy and proud to eat what it had produced. I had walked in faith and sowed my seeds in the transformed soil. I was happy and proud of my labors and reaped the sweet harvest of my first successful garden.
Here I am many years later and realizing I have been creating my fertile soil of consciousness. This is a place where my seeds of love, faith, joy and happiness grow. I am reminded that all the manure I have been willing to bring forth and turn over within me is also the promise of my having a successful abundant life. Each year I awaken more in my consciousness. I improve the yield in my garden of life.
When I first grew onions they were bitter and stinging. When I peeled them my eyes would burn and I would cry. As I improved my soil the onions grew sweeter and they became a pleasure to peel. Similarly, as I peeled my onion of self in the past, I would cry. Now I discover the pleasure in peeling back the layers to reveal the sweet person I am. I use the manure in my life to create more growth in my garden of consciousness and I am blessed with more love, faith, joy and happiness.++
* * * Steven Wayne Spencer, LMT, CBT, COF is a licensed massage therapist and nationally certified body worker. He specializes in mind-bodywork and has developed his own technique called Cellular Memory Muscle Release. Steven can be reached at MasterIM@hotmail.com
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