Nothing
Runs Like a Deere
Tails from the Farm
Mark
4:28 All by itself the soil produces
grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.
I
used to do a lot of plowing when I was growing up. It was probably my favorite
job on the farm. I loved getting to see the transformation of a field as I
began, terrace by terrace, to turn over the soil. I’ve been able to plow
a little the past few days, and I still love it. I must clarify though,
driving through a field in a four-wheel drive John Deere tractor with a plow
that covers about forty-three feet is a very far cry from the “way
back” way of doing the job! The old barn by our house has a couple of
sets of plowing gear from my great-grandpa’s time including harnesses,
tugs, and the hames that all worked together to connect to a farmer’s shoulders.
I’m
pretty sure my great-grandpa had a great satisfaction in watching his soil as
it changed and shifted with the seasons. And I’m also sure that he
trusted the “magic” of the acres of dirt for which he was
responsible. Not only because it would feed his family, but because there is
some kind of deep satisfaction in watching literal miracles pop up from the
newly turned soil and eventually into a stalk of wheat or corn, yielding many
times more than the original seed! When you add in the fickle nature of the
sun, wind, and rain, well, you’ve got a monster miracle on your hands
when you see a crop that wasn’t there before!
We
are God’s soil, His creation and beautiful masterpiece. What can be produced
from the soil of our lives is beyond imagination. The potential of it is
staggering. But we must plant the right seed inside of our hearts. We must
diligently take care of this soil as if our very breath depended on it. We
have to plow up the weeds of hate, jealousy, and gossip, and plant seeds that will
produce one hundred-fold, like kindness, forgiveness, and love. There are many
things to maintain in this life. But nothing is more important than
maintaining the field of our hearts. And, thankfully, it won’t take a
John Deere to plow it up.
Jennifer
Biblical Meditation: Proverbs 4:23 Above
all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.