As you bless others, blessings will come to you

There’s a parable by an unknown author that a reader sent to me that coveys a great truth. Once, there was a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Every year, he entered his corn in the state fair and won numerous awards and ribbons. One year, a newspaper reporter covered the event and interviewed the farmer.

“What do you do to grow such robust and healthy corn?” the reporter asked. The farmer replied, “Well, one thing I do is share the seeds with my neighbors.”

Continuing his ques- tioning, the reporter queried, “Why do share your corn seeds with your neighbors? Aren’t your neighbors entering this competition with their corn?”

With confidence, the farmer said, “Maybe you weren’t aware, but the wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field. If my neighbors grow poor corn, cross-pollination would degrade the quality of my own corn. So, if I want to grow the best corn, then I must help my neighbors grow the best corn, too.”

Life goes on, and day by day, we realize that we get back the same measure of what we put forth. Goodness breeds goodness; generosity brings about more generosity. A business associate of mine is always mentoring others. When I asked him why he’s always willing to make someone’s life a bit easier, he replied, “My reward is when the recipient passes along the kindness.” And by helping one another, we create a benevolent cycle and discover another truth: Our Father in heaven pours out more blessings on us because as we cast our bread upon the water, it returns.

What we give out does come around back to us. Therefore, let’s ask ourselves today, “What can I do to help someone else?” For the value of our lives is measured primarily by the lives we touch by our good deeds.

I remember a heartwarming story about race car driver, Tony Kanaan. Years back, Kanaan visited a teenage girl at the hospital. She was getting ready to undergo emergency surgery, and Kanaan met the girl’s family. Then, with compassion, Kanaan gave the girl’s mother a medal of protection to give to her daughter. Kanaan’s mother had given him the metal to carry with him when he raced, and selflessly, he passed it on to the sick girl and her family.

Later, Kanaan was pleased to learn that the girl’s surgery was successful. And whenever the girl had other surgeries, a family member would wear the medal of protection.

So, prior to the Indianapolis 500, the nowyoung woman, decided to return the medal to Kanaan. She included a heartening note that pur- portedly said, “Here’s your good-luck charm back. Now you take it and win the Indianapolis 500.”

Tony Kanaan had the medal in his pocket when he crossed the finish line. And that year he emerged the winner of the Indianapolis 500… in more ways than one.

I’m reminded that the way to a joy-filled, contented life is in the words of the poem written by missionary, Stephen Grellet (1773-1855):

“I expect to pass through this world but once. Any good thing, therefore, that I can do or any kindness I can show to any fellow human being let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”