As discussed in Hidden Treasures, the seventh law is the Law of Gestation. Simply put, it says that every seed in nature has a specific and finite gestation period before it reaches maturity.

Our dreams work in the same way. They, too, have their own gestation periods, and we must hold them with belief and nurture them until they bloom into full fruition. Just because a farmer spots a green tomato doesn’t mean his dream of a ripe red tomato has failed. It’s just that the process isn’t complete yet.

So when your dream or goal doesn’t seem to be everything you hoped for, don’t uproot it. Keep nourishing it. The process simply isn’t finished. There are connections still forming, and many elements that must come together before the seed can grow into a fruit-bearing tree.

A few years ago, I found myself completely absorbed in gardening. I had never taken the time to try it before, but something about the idea of planting seeds, watching them grow, and involving my kids in the learning process felt incredibly fulfilling. I even hoped that seeing the peas, beans, lettuce, and broccoli sprout would excite my children enough to eat them! :)

We didn’t want to tear up our rock landscaping, and I certainly didn’t want to keep our basset hound out of the garden, so we decided to use the “Square Foot Gardening” method on our balcony, in boxes.

Now, I have a bit of a history with killing plants—philodendrons included—so when I picked up Mel Bartholomew’s book, I was cautiously optimistic. I knew I needed to act quickly, or that burst of “I can” energy would turn into “What was I thinking?”

Tip: Never let an “I can” moment slip by without acting on it!

My first task was to pick up vermiculite from the nursery and start assembling the lumber. But as I stood there, that “I can” confidence started to waver. I went to Trevan’s office to talk it through. As I explained why I was feeling overwhelmed, I realized I had entered “information overload.”

The charts in the back of the book started to make my head spin—when to plant each seed, how to determine whether to plant a seed or a pre-sprouted plant, and a whole schedule for continuous harvest crops. But the charts that got to me the most were the ones detailing the ideal temperature ranges for each seed’s germination.

I sought sympathy from Trevan, saying, “Look, honey, do you see how overwhelming this is?” But when I mentioned the germination temperature charts, his eyes lit up. He said, “You mean to tell me that the germination time for each seed shortens with higher temperatures? I thought that might be the case, but I’ve never seen it in real life!”

That’s when I realized I wouldn’t get any sympathy here. Instead, he was excited because he had just discovered a key truth about dream-seeds too.

It was a moment of clarity. If a principle is true, it’s true on every level, in every situation. We’ve already seen how the process of planting seeds in nature mirrors planting dreams in our minds. And now we were learning that the gestation period for our dreams can be shortened depending on the energy we bring to them.

For example, spinach takes 63 days to germinate at 32°F, but only 6 days at 86°F. More energy shortens germination time. But, there’s a catch:

Warning:

While a spinach seed can sprout in 6 days at a high temperature, only 32% of the seeds will sprout. If they’re left to germinate at 32°F for 63 days, 83% will sprout. The optimal production is somewhere in between: 41°F for 23 days gives a yield of 96%.

Onions are a different story. At 34°F, they take 136 days to germinate, but 90% of the seeds sprout. At 77°F, it only takes 4 days, with a 97% success rate. But if the temperature rises to 95°F, it takes 13 days, and only 73% will sprout.

So how can we know how much intensity to bring to our dream-seeds? How long do we need to wait for them to mature?

Too little intensity, and the seedlings can die. Too much, and the same thing happens. Sometimes the seeds need our attention; other times, they need us to step back. If we act at the wrong time, we risk damaging the dream, just like we risk killing a vegetable seed if we don’t tend to it properly.

With so many factors at play, the best thing you can do is relax and let the seed grow.

Nourish it with passion, but don’t force it to grow too quickly, or it may break. Be patient, but also act when that inner nudge tells you to. Seeds will continue to grow, even with some neglect, as long as we return to them in time.

You may not know exactly what the seed needs, but the Creator knows His creation perfectly and will show you how to care for the seeds you’ve been given—those dream-seeds included.

He’s a Master Gardener, and you don’t have to know everything. It’s a delicate process, but it will unfold clearly, one step at a time, in the darkness that will eventually be illuminated.

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