Look around for a place to sow a few seeds.

"Look around for a place to sow a few seeds." Thus spoke Henry Van Dyke, a voice gentle yet enduring, who called men and women to acts both humble and eternal. His words remind us that greatness is not always found in monuments, nor is legacy carved only in stone. Rather, it is in the small seeds we plant—of kindness, of truth, of good works—that the future finds its harvest. To sow is to hope, to believe that what is hidden today will blossom tomorrow.

The ancients knew this mystery well. The farmer who scatters seeds into the earth does so in faith, not seeing the stalks yet to come. So too in life must we plant deeds of compassion and courage, often in unseen places, trusting that time will bring forth fruit. A kind word, a helping hand, a patient act of mercy—though small, these are seeds of power, destined to rise when the season is ripe.

Consider the story of Mother Teresa. She did not begin with riches nor with armies, but with a single act of care for the dying poor in Calcutta. Each day she looked around for places to sow her seeds—feeding one, comforting another, lifting the fallen. Alone, these acts seemed small, almost insignificant. Yet together, across years, they became a forest of compassion that inspired nations and generations. The smallest seeds, faithfully planted, grew into a mighty garden of love.

Van Dyke’s wisdom calls us away from idleness. It bids us open our eyes and see that the world around us is always fertile ground. There is no shortage of soil: the hearts of men, the sorrows of neighbors, the struggles of strangers—all await a seed of kindness or courage. To withhold them is to let the earth lie barren; to sow is to ensure that hope will never perish.

So remember, children of tomorrow: do not despise small beginnings, nor think your deeds too little to matter. Scatter your seeds wherever you walk, for you know not which will grow. But surely some will take root, and from them shall rise a harvest beyond your sight. To sow is to trust in eternity, and to plant even a single seed is to partake in the work of the divine.