I have to give farmers a lot of credit for the way they live their lives. It occurs to me because the gospel for today is one of the parables about sowing seeds (Mark 4: 1-20) and all the things that can happen between the moment of planting and the harvest. There’s a lot of waiting that goes on and the extra work when certain conditions appear – like frost in Florida or drought in the mid-west of our country. Farmers are not in control of outcome. They are also not as able to take vacations as most people do. And every year is likely to be different.

I’ve often said that in my next life, should there be one, I would like to be a farmer. The life close to nature and the joy of seeing things grow is attractive to me. I should say that even dairy farming is included in my visioning because of the regularity of the work and the relationship with animals. The challenges may be different but the conditions remain similarly challenging.
So what’s my point? I guess it’s mostly about the trust necessary in any life. My computer could crash this morning and then how would the blog be proliferated? We’re up to 836 people who sometimes read it. I have no names or street addresses or phone numbers and it would take all day to find even some of the readers…you get the picture. The question is about what I would do in that situation. Most likely I would trust that it might be time for me to go on to something else and to “let go and let God.”
It’s a risky business, this life…Today I thank God for the example of those willing to sow and watch and wait…and trust in the providence of God.