In 1774, John Chapman was born. He is better known as Johnny Appleseed.

John Chapman was born on this day in Massachusetts in 1774. Johnny Appleseed, as he became known, spent 49 years of his life walking the American wilderness planting apple seeds.

Johnny was a kind and gentle man—liked by everyone who met him. Even animals seemed drawn to his gentle ways. His clothes were made from sackcloth, and his hat was a tin pot that he also used for cooking! His favorite book? The Bible!

Many stories grew around this man who walked around the country barefoot, planting seeds wherever he went. The stories surrounding this man are legendary. It was said that he made his drinking water from snow by melting it with his feet. Another story had it that Johnny fell asleep and a rattlesnake tried to bite him, but the snake’s fangs couldn’t penetrate the tough soles of his feet.

Johnny Appleseed’s dream was for a land where blossoming apple trees were everywhere and no one was hungry. It is said that more than 200 years later, orchards in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Ohio still have trees bearing apples resulting from the seeds Johnny planted.

The apostle Paul was also a planter of seeds. The seeds that Paul planted, however, bore a fruit of a different kind. Paul planted the seed of the gospel wherever he went. He told whoever would listen the good news of Jesus Christ and the promise of eternal life.

Think about it. You are reading this book today because of the seeds that Paul planted years and years ago! Someone heard about Jesus from Paul and told someone else, who told someone else . . .

Now it’s your turn to go and plant seeds for Jesus!

My job was to plant the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God, not we, who made it grow (1 Corinthians 3:6).

To Do

Enjoy an apple today in honor of Johnny Appleseed. As you do, think about “seeds” you can plant for Jesus at school and in your neighborhood.

Also on this day

1789—The U.S. Postal Service was founded.

1892—John Philip Sousa, the “King of Marches,” performed his first concert.

1985—Shamu was born today at Sea World in Orlando, Florida. Shamu was the first killer whale to survive being born in captivity.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005). Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.