By Denise Webster

The Law of Cause and Effect teaches: "Action and reaction are equal, in opposite directions. Focus on what you can give, not what you will get." It's also known as the Law of the Harvest: "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." (Galatians 6:7) Simply put: if you plant seeds of goodness, kindness, and love, that's exactly what will come back to you.

But if you plant seeds of negativity, anger, revenge, or dishonesty, those things will return to you, too. If you plant seeds of wealth and prosperity, that’s what you’ll receive. If you plant seeds of health and wellness, that’s what will grow in your life.
And how do you plant these seeds? It’s through your thoughts. Every thought you have is a seed. Your emotion is what nourishes that seed and makes it grow.
So if you plant a thought of wealth and feel truly excited and joyful about it, that seed is nourished and will grow quickly.
Only doubt and fear can stop it.
The good news? We get to choose our thoughts.

In November 2007, my husband and I went on a trip to Costa Rica with a group from his supplier. As we were checking in at the Las Vegas airport (two hours from home), I realized I had left our passports at home... in the copier. I was so upset with myself. I felt like I had let my husband down and was ruining our trip.
I knew I needed to think better, but honestly, I was frustrated and scrambling for solutions.
Seeing my distress, the lady behind the counter said, "It's okay. When these things happen, it is probably for a reason."
Her words stopped me in my tracks. I was so grateful for her positivity. She bent over backward to help us figure out new flight arrangements.

At first, my thoughts ran wild: "Maybe there's someone I need to share the gospel with." (A good thought!) Then immediately: "OR... we're going to crash and die."
That's when I caught myself—and remembered the Law of Cause and Effect.
I had a CHOICE. I could choose which thought to feed.
Even though the negative thoughts kept trying to creep back, I chose the first one.
We ended up having a safe and wonderful trip.

From Costa Rica, we flew to Omaha/Council Bluffs, Iowa, for our daughter’s national volleyball tournament. On the way home at the Omaha airport, one of our bags was overweight. We started shuffling items between bags. I zipped one up, lifted it onto the scale, and turned back to grab the other bag—only to find my husband already trying to lift it... but it wasn’t zipped. Everything spilled out all over the floor! (Luckily, only one other couple was nearby.)
I started chuckling to myself—we started the trip with a bang, and we’re ending it with one, too.

As we hoisted the other suitcase onto the scale, the lady behind the counter said, "I hope you have a better day!"
Instantly, I thought, Well, I have a choice! and started laughing inside.
I smiled and told her, "Oh, we WILL!"
She responded, "Wow! That's a great attitude!"
My husband and I just looked at each other and grinned.
As we walked away, I said to him, "A dumped suitcase is nothing compared to leaving a passport at home. She has no clue what a bad day is, huh?"
We knew—we had a choice.

I couldn’t help but notice the difference between the two airline attendants: one encouraging us to believe that setbacks could be for our good... and the other assuming we were just having a terrible day.
What a lesson in choice.

Here’s another example of how the Law of Cause and Effect shows up in real life:
I had been working really hard preparing a spiritual activity for Girls Camp (a four-day camping trip for girls ages 12–18 in our church). I wanted to do something really special, so I put a lot of time and effort into a project.
One day, my oldest son said, "Mom! You are spending way too much time on this. Is it even necessary?"

Without hesitation, I answered, "You get out of it what you put into it!"
(We’ve all heard that saying before.)
But at that moment, it hit me—I was living the Law of the Harvest.
I knew from experience that the camps where I had invested the most thought, time, and heart always turned out the most meaningful—not just for the girls, but for me too.

And that year was no exception.
I’ve learned that the Law of Cause and Effect is powerful: you get out of life, work, family—exactly what you put into it.
(Is that what the "Cats in the Cradle" song is about?)
Just remember: for all the hard work you’re doing, and all the good you’re putting into the world—you will be equally blessed.

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