This has been the founding for a powerful message of the story—Colossians 3:23-24, reminding one to engage his heart in whatever work is done, for the true reward comes from the Lord.
This is about a man by the name of Tom, who takes these words to heart in his own life, particularly to his garden—the labor of love for him.

Beginning the Work: That plot of rocky ground that Tom had was also hard. The others would say that it was useless, but Tom saw a potential in it. He remembered the words from Colossians and realized that his efforts should be towards the Lord and not to fill others up or to have things instantly done.

With All His Heart:
Day in day out, Tom worked on the land issued to him. There was no day he could fail to clear stones from the land, and improvement of the soil plus planting of seeds, treating each work as if done for the Lord. Tough going; progress was slow.
Sometimes Tom had felt a bit low watching how nice the neighbors made their gardens look, but he pushed on, knowing all his hard work would be worth the while.

The Harvest:
Then came the months, and his garden transformed. A place where he used to see the ground covered with rocks only now had sprouts all over it. The further growth of those sprouts turned into a pretty garden with a lot of vegetables and flowers. The result of the hard labor of Tom was transformed into the land lovingly faithful work.

Conclusion:
Tom’s story is not a pure garden story, however. It is one of such lessons that display the full power of working with all the heart for the Lord. His work turns a piece of barren land into a blooming garden, probably to show that hard labor, driven by faith, has its own rewards.

Insights:
What great lessons the journey of Tom teaches—a lot depends on what attitude we take to the very nature of work and our efforts. Whether it be a garden or a job, or whatever else challenge we may take up, sincere and faithful work would only bring forth incredible results. In a world where instant gratification and easy success are sounded out for, the story of Tom has a voice reminding one of timeless values such as perseverance, dedication, and work for something far greater than just our immediate gain.