A Farmer’s Tale

A pastor was walking down a country roadHe came along a beautiful farmIt’s fence was straight, beyond it the orchard was well tendedHe saw rows of vegetables, neatly trimmed and growing strongBefore long he saw a beautiful farmhouse with a well and shade treesAnd then a freshly painted barn, with contented animals milling aboutAs he continued, he saw a farmer in the field and called out to him,“God has blessed you with a beautiful farm!”The farmer looked up, and paused a moment and smiled,“He has,” he called back, “and I’m grateful”“But you should’ve seen it when he had it to himself”When I was a child, my father often listened to Earl NightengaleWhose deep, expressive voice told dozens of these stories I still rememberThis has long been my favorite.I loved the cooperation between effort and graceBlessings bestowed, blessings cultivatedIt’s odd to share this story hereGiven that my life feels like the mirror opposite right nowAny pastor walking by would cringe at the crooked fence, peeling paint, wild bramblesThis is not my moment of bucolic resonanceBut we’re here, lifting and carrying, planting and wateringHoping the seeds take even as the land looks somewhat dry and barren(We’re moving to the desert in 2 weeks)Still, there are patches I have tendedAspects of my life that are beautiful even in the midst of the instabilityPeople have called out to me how blessed I amAnd they’re right. And I’m grateful.Because what’s growing here isn’t finished yetAnd will be the result of many factors, seen and unseenEffort and GraceRegulation and RelationshipsWeather and whatever seeds are able to germinateYour support is part of it, tooAnd i can tell you this:I sure am glad I don’t have it all to myself This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fallingtenderly.substack.com