Something unexpected has sprouted in our front flower garden: a pumpkin patch! None of us intentionally planted it, and yet here it is, growing strong and green, despite what seems to be a consistent invasion of thistles. Our best guess? Last fall, the squirrels made off with porch pumpkins and buried some seeds. Maybe a few made their way from a neighbor’s field. However it happened, seeds that were left behind in unlikely soil have taken root, and now we have pumpkins on the way. This surprise reminds me of one of Jesus’ most beloved parables—the story of the Sower found in Matthew 13:3-9, Mark 4:2-9, and Luke 8:4-8. In that parable, a farmer scatters seed in every direction. Some fall on rocky ground, some among thorns, and some on good soil. The farmer has no control over where the seed lands, and yet in the places where the soil is right, the seed grows and produces a harvest—sometimes beyond anyone’s expectation. We don’t always know what kind of soil we’re planting into. We may assume a place—or even a person—is too hardened, too crowded with thorns, or too shallow for God’s Word to take root. And yet, just like the squirrels’ forgotten pumpkins, God has a way of surprising us. Seeds can grow in the most unlikely places. The Spirit moves, waters, and nourishes in ways we can’t predict. What looked like barren ground may, in time, reveal a beautiful harvest. Our little pumpkin patch is a living reminder that God is at work in ways beyond our planning and control. The Holy Spirit can bring forth life where we least expect it. So keep sowing kindness, faith, hope, and love. Even if you think the soil isn’t ready, you never know what God might grow.