A Farmer By Trade

He worked on the land, a farmer by trade. He never will know the impact he made. When plowing the fields, his mind would be filled with lessons in life he taught and instilled. “Life’s pretty simple” my grandpa would claim, “The rules we should live by are always the same.” He delivered his thoughts in a wry kind of style. You’d think he was mad, but then he would smile. He was always profound, a man of his word. He would always look forward despite what occurred. “I’ve never reaped anything I didn’t first sow. The seeds that you plant is the crop that will grow. Fix your eyes on a spot, if you want to plow straight. If you need to start over, it’s never too late.” One thing I remember, he often would share, “Don’t tear down a fence, ‘til you know why it’s there. Some fences are built to keep danger away, some fences are built so we’ll know where to stay.” His philosophy in life was to, “Let people be. I’m not here to judge, lest they should judge me.” “Some things are better off left on the ground, manure doesn’t stink ‘til you stir it around.” The best thing he taught me was how I could find the answer to anything crossing my mind. Whatever I’d ask him, he’d get out the Book, saying, “God wrote it down, if you take time to look.” He understood things that few understand. A farmer by trade, he worked on the land.