Reap What You Sow Mondays with Tony: Because She Planted – Celebrating the Women Who Made It All Possible

Today marks the 31st and final day of Women’s History Month, and it’s only right that we pause, reflect, and give heartfelt honor to the women who made all of this—our lives, our faith, our strength—possible.

Some of them were famous. Others were only known to their families or their God. But each of them planted seeds—seeds of faith, sacrifice, resilience, love, and labor—that we now reap as strength, wisdom, opportunity, and grace.

This isn’t just a post. This is a thank-you letter. This is a sacred reflection. This is a celebration of women whose work didn’t make headlines—but made history in our homes, our hearts, and our futures.

Psalm 126:5 (NKJV)

“Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy.”

Because She Planted: A Letter of Gratitude

Because she planted, I know what love looks like. Because she planted, I understand what it means to pray without ceasing, to give without fanfare, to work without recognition, and to hope against all odds.

Because she planted, I learned that faith isn’t just something you speak—it’s something you live, day in and day out, even when nobody is watching.

This post is for her. For them. For the mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, teachers, mentors, church mothers, and village women who planted in hard soil, watered in dry seasons, and never stopped believing in a harvest—even if they never saw it in full bloom.

The Power of Her Planting

The story of Women’s History Month isn’t just about trailblazers on stages—it’s about everyday women who dared to believe in something greater than their circumstances.

They planted…

• In adversity. When the world told her she couldn’t, she did anyway. When the doors were closed, she built her own.

• In silence. She didn’t need an audience. She needed purpose. Her prayers in the midnight hour, her quiet tears while stirring dinner, her whispered worship while rocking a crying baby—those were seeds.

  
  

• In faith. She gave to others even when she didn’t have enough for herself. She believed that what she planted today would bless those who came tomorrow.

Who Is “She”?

“She” may not have a statue or a street named after her. But we carry her DNA in our character, our strength, our prayers, and our purpose.

Let me introduce you to some of the “she’s” who shaped our world—famous or not.

Harriet Jacobs – The Voice Who Wrote in Secret

She was born into slavery and hid in an attic crawl space for seven years to protect her children. But from that tiny space, she wrote her story, and her words ignited a movement.

She planted truth in the soil of oppression. And now, generations reap knowledge, empathy, and justice.

Lois and Eunice – The Generational Faith Builders

The Bible speaks of Timothy’s mother and grandmother in 2 Timothy 1:5:"When I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice…"

They didn’t make it into the Gospels, but they made it into Paul’s letter—because they made faith real in their home. That seed produced a bold preacher, a world-changer, and a legacy.

Your Mother, Grandmother, Aunt, Sister, Cousin, or Wife...

Who is that woman in your life who never stopped praying for you? Who made sure you ate, learned, served, and believed—even if she had nothing left for herself?

That’s who we celebrate today.

Because she planted, you’re standing.

Planting in Pain, Reaping in Joy

One of the most powerful truths I’ve learned is this: the greatest planting often happens in painful seasons.

It’s not just the joyful moments that bring harvest—it’s the tears, the letdowns, the crushing that prepare the soil.

Ruth planted loyalty. She reaped redemption.

Ruth followed Naomi into an uncertain land, gleaned in someone else’s field, and ended up part of the genealogy of Jesus Christ.

Her quiet faithfulness became a legacy for generations.

Esther planted courage. She reaped deliverance.

She risked everything to save her people. She didn’t start out wanting to be queen—but she used her position to fight for justice.

Because she planted boldness, a nation was saved.

The Fruit of Her Labor

Because she planted:

• I can dream.

• I can lead.

• I can write.

• I can love freely.

• I can build a life with purpose.

• I can stand in spaces she only imagined.

Her seeds weren’t wasted. They grew in me. They’re growing in you.

Every “yes” you say to purpose is a harvest of her sacrifice.

The Women Who Never Gave Up

There are women who didn’t live long enough to see what their seeds produced.

• A teacher who sparked creativity in a student who became a leader.

• A domestic worker who taught her daughter the value of education.

• A grandmother who prayed over a family that’s now flourishing across states.

Just because we don’t always see the planter, doesn’t mean we’re not walking through their orchard.

John 4:38 (NKJV)

“I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors.”

You didn’t get here alone. You are the answered prayer, the bloomed seed, the fulfilled prophecy.

What Will You Plant?

As we close Women’s History Month, the challenge is now ours.Will we plant as boldly as they did? Will we sow even when it hurts? Will we serve without applause, love without condition, and believe without proof?

That’s the call.

Challenge for the Week

✅ Honor a woman who planted in your life. Call her, write her, remember her.

✅ Plant something intentional this week—an act of service, an encouraging word, a prayer, or a donation.

✅ Reflect on the harvest you’re reaping. Whose name is tied to your growth?

Final Reflection

As we close out this month, remember: Women’s History Month isn’t about just the past. It’s about the present seeds we’re still watering and the future harvests we’ll never stop believing in.

Because she planted, I will too.

Because she believed, I believe.

Because she rose, I rise.

Because she prayed, I’m protected.

Because she planted—I live.

Call to Action

Support a living legacy by purchasing S.O.L.A.D.™: Soldiers of Light Against Darkness™, a novel rooted in hope, courage, and faith—just like the women we’ve honored today.

Your purchase not only celebrates powerful storytelling, but supports a Black author who champions characters working across cultures and backgrounds to create a better world.

Grab your autographed copy today at:www.tyronetonyreedjr.com/the-shop

Let’s continue sowing the seeds they gave us.