The Farmer

There was once a farmer that went out to cast seed across the land the master had given him. He had a large piece of ground to cover and it was his desire to see something beautiful growing everywhere on the land for which he was responsible.

He started with the ground that appeared to others to be too rocky to allow anything to grow. Those others made fun of the farmer. “Nothing will ever grow there!” they would shout. Or they would ask “How can you be so ignorant to do such a thing and still call yourself a farmer?” Then they would walk away laughing at what they saw.

Some of the other ground was full of thorns and tangled bushes. Still, he cast the seed there, hoping that some would take root and bring life to an ugly, twisted place. Passers-by would shake their heads and say to themselves, “That is one dumb farmer to waste good seed on ground full of thorny-bushes and ugly plants.” Still, the farmer kept casting seed on the land the master had given him. He wanted it to be full of life and as beautiful as he could make it.

Soon, he was casting seed on ground that was hard. It looked like it had been run over by some giant steam roller or as if boulders had fallen from the sky and pounded it down. Other farmers came by and said, “You’re just wasting your time. That ground is so beat up and hard, nothing will ever look good there!” But the farmer ignored them and kept going.

Finally he got to the part of the land that was good ground. There he cast all of the seed he had left. He did it with loving care because he knew that it would take root and grow into something great there. He also knew he would have to depend on the plants growing there. It was that land the farmer could count on to produce good fruit and bear new seed.

You see, the farmer had not given up on the rest of the land. The seed that came from the crops in the good land allowed him to keep casting seed in the rocky, thorny and beaten land. The farmer loved all of land enough to keep trying. So, even though others thought him ignorant, stupid or wasteful, it was the love that he had for all his land that would not allow him to stop.

No matter if you feel like life has beaten, robbed or run you over, the master still loves you. He will keep sending the farmer to cast the seed of His Love and His Word into your life. He won’t stop working because of His desire to see life take root and grow into something beautiful. Peter says that it is God’s desire that no man should parish, but that all should come into repentance. Of course, if that is too hard to believe, you are welcome to read the original version of this story in John’s letter about Jesus. Let Him cast seeds of life into you today and allow the rain of His Love cause it to grow. – God Bless you, Bobby