I’ve never been a farmer, but I learned a lot from one.
I’ve learned lessons from a farmer. My grandfather spent much of his life working the land not just for a living but because it was in his blood. He worked hard, and the fruits of his labor live on to this day.
As a city girl, I didn’t always appreciate the country life when we visited. Then in my forties, as I spent more time there with my parents, and then because I fell in love with Southern Indiana, I better understood the heart of my grandparents and their passion for their farm. It took me a while, but I did learn some things from their way of life.
We have to nurture our work
Before a farmer even plants the seed, he works the ground. The ground is broken up and fertilized. With that beginning nurture, the seeds have a chance to make it. After planting, the farmer must then water and watch for weeds.
If our work is important, we also need to nurture it. The more we incubate our dreams and feed and water them, the better chance they will grow into something extraordinary. So often, we view work as hard and just a necessity. And it is, but it’s also something to pour our hearts into.
Hard work comes before the harvest
A farmer works from sun up to sun down. He learns to use his time wisely to ensure everything is done on the farm and in the fields. Back-breaking work may be easier due to modern technology, but it is still hard work. He labors over his acres all summer long to keep the crop growing. The harvest can’t happen unless the work comes first.
Our lives will often be full of hard places and challenging times. That’s just the nature of this world we live in. Our effort toward the important things will drive our harvest.
Weeds need to be controlled
A farmer is in a constant battle with weeds. They’re the enemy of healthy crops. The weeds of life constantly threaten to choke the life out of our efforts, just like they threaten planted fields. Nipping them in the bud is the best way to deal with them. Dig deep and get the root so it doesn’t have a chance to entrench itself.
Sometimes, the ground needs to rest to be replenished
A farmer learns to rotate crops and let fields lie bare for a season to replenish the soil. This step is vital to producing good crops. Without the time to renew the land, the harvest will not be as abundant as it could be.
Rest is important. It’s often overlooked and put on the back burner in busy times. Getting adequate rest is critical to pursuing everything God has placed in our lives. If we’re too exhausted to pour into our dreams and those of others, we will quickly burn out.
Yes, my grandpa and I lived very different lives.
He worked a very physically demanding job for many years. My life isn’t physically demanding. Still, there is much to be learned from my grandfather’s work. In our differences, there is similarity. It is true, I am a farmer’s granddaughter, and I am proud to say that I am!
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