I work for an agriculture company where we research, develop, and produce hybrid corn seed and soybean seed varieties. We also provide advanced software and data analysis tools for customers as well as our internal business teams that augment the research, production and sales of these seed products. It is an amazing industry to be in, and while we are a very diverse company in terms of jobs, roles, and backgrounds – our mantra has become that regardless of what we do, we are all Farmers at Heart…
Agriculture is an interesting business. And it is non-stop. You go from season to season and there is always something to do – something different – but it is all part of the puzzle. This time of year, the fields are frozen and dormant. Some have been tilled last fall and on warm days in the winter. Others consist of the frozen remains of cornstalks and soybean plants from last fall’s harvest.
But soon, the weather will break, the days will get longer and warmer, and the fertile fields will be tilled once more and this year’s crop planted. There is perhaps nothing more that I love to see than a sunny morning, dark brown fields moistened with dew, and the crop sprouting from the earth – the lime green contrasting so beautifully against the dark richness of the soil.
These small plants quickly grow into beautiful, mature fields of grain, rolling with the countryside in the heat of the summer, and then the days of autumn bring in the harvest. And the cycle begins again.
But all throughout, the farmer is cultivating – working the soil, feeding nutrients to the plants, treating to prevent weeds and pests – and watering. And after the harvest, the fields are cultivated again, more nutrients applied, turning the soil over so it can breathe – all for the next season.
Cultivation – to provide the best soil to produce the best plants that yield the best fruits. Over and over, season after season, year after year.
But see, we also cultivate our people. Whether it is through leadership development programs, fitness and health programs, constant encouragement to read books, Bible study and prayer groups – yes, we are a Christian company – we cultivate our people.
Why? To make us better. To work over and prepare us so we can better withstand and thrive in the droughts and floods and storms that will surely come our way. And to become a better company, and make those we work with and interact with better people. We cultivate the community through leadership, personal growth and outreach activities.
Cultivation – working over and preparing so that we can produce better fruit both out in the field and in each person is paramount. And as we see and read today – this is no new age idea or concept. It has been embedded in our DNA from the very beginning, and Jesus provides the tools and the Way – the only Way – that we can truly cultivate ourselves and the world around us, preparing the soil in our path so that we can plant and nourish the seeds within that result in better fruit for the world.
This is not a metaphor. This is the real thing. The true Way. Sure, Jesus used these parables because they spoke to the people of the day using things they could relate to, but the truth of cultivation of our mind and soul is real and tangible, just as real as thrusting your hands in rich soil, rubbing it between your fingers, letting it fall back to the ground.
He is just as real and He is just as Present – and through Him, we can cultivate ourselves and the world around us. I know this to be true.
