A personal essay by Sterling Smith
Is it possible to fully appreciate our comfort without witnessing first-hand sacrifices and appreciating powers beyond our own?
To a farmer, the world is nothing but dirt. Dirt is where a farmer plants his sacrifices. Careful cultivation and fertilization, allow a farmer to control the fertility of the dirt. However, without rain, dirt yields nothing.
He prays for moisture so that his offerings will multiply his living, so he can feed his family, clothe his children, and pay the bank the money he owes. A farmer has no control over what happens in the space between heaven and earth, but what happens in that space is just as vital to a seed as it is you and me.
The Dirt
A farmer is constantly pursuing fertile soil to raise his crops. A farmer relies on the dark, supple, earth to nurture the vulnerable seeds. First, he takes the dust and minerals already provided and cautiously cuts and cultivates the land as the blades of his plows unearth the black virgin soil from below. He then spreads nitrogen and phosphorus-rich manure and lets the soil soak up these nutrients to provide a sealing coat to the newly manicured plot of land. Only the best soil care will provide the best yields.
How does a farmer know if his soil is good? Someone teaches him. My father taught me which mixtures of clay, sand, and organic matter that would produce the best yields. My father was taught by his father, who spent decades circling grey fields. My grandfather was taught by his father before my great-grandfather was crushed by his tractor. Like my great-grandfather, many have lost their lives in the quest for better yields. The science of soil composition has been a process of trial and error at the expense of our dead ancestors.
The Heavens
After planting his seeds in the earth, a farmer looks to heaven for moisture. Once planted in the insulated protection of the dirt, a seed needs moisture to trigger germination to rupture their delicate exterior and expose their most vulnerable parts to the worldly elements thus leading to perpetuation. Whether or not a seed lives or dies, whether or not a farmer feeds his family, clothes his children, or pays for his dirt, is up to the heavens. After the seed is in the ground a farmer has no control. The irrefutable truth of a higher power is manifested in the annihilation of a crop with the sweep of a hail storm or in the cracks of the bare soil during a drought. A farmer is at the mercy of the of nature's unpredictability.
For the sake of eternal balance, a farmer offers his labor to the dirt to justify his painful existence and reap his substance. A farmer acts in faith as he orients his life as though the rain will indeed fall and his offerings will reproduce. His whole family is at risk of poverty as he buries remnants of last year’s harvest in the ground. Without sincere faith, this act has no logical substance. Without putting off what is easy in exchange for a productive future the farmer will never reach his full potential as a provider for the masses.
In-Between
The coordination between what can be controlled and what is controlling leads to the outcome. The space between the beginning and end of life, between now and the future, between failure and success, exists because of what takes place between heaven and dirt. As the farmer humbly follows the example of his ancestors, carefully watches the signs from the heavens, and reacts appropriately, it is as if he engages in a waltz where nature leads his every step. Once a farmer strikes this balance he has reached his full potential.
Such a balance between the human capacity for order and the understanding of potential chaos that might ensue extends far beyond farming. It is the means of creation. The common trait between a field full of sprouting crops and a light bulb is they were both created by harnessing and respecting potential. Human potential and the potential of unfamiliar powers.
When it comes down to the influence of the individual, there are limits to human capacity. Limits that are constrained by nature, forcing us to reduce our scope of influence on the world to things we can use to create. Creations that will benefit ourselves, and those around us. Thus, to a farmer, the world is nothing but dirt. But when combined with powers from heaven, a farmer becomes a creator.
*Image Courtesy of Creative Commons
He prays for moisture so that his offerings will multiply his living, so he can feed his family, clothe his children, and pay the bank the money he owes. A farmer has no control over what happens in the space between heaven and earth, but what happens in that space is just as vital to a seed as it is you and me.
The Dirt
A farmer is constantly pursuing fertile soil to raise his crops. A farmer relies on the dark, supple, earth to nurture the vulnerable seeds. First, he takes the dust and minerals already provided and cautiously cuts and cultivates the land as the blades of his plows unearth the black virgin soil from below. He then spreads nitrogen and phosphorus-rich manure and lets the soil soak up these nutrients to provide a sealing coat to the newly manicured plot of land. Only the best soil care will provide the best yields.
How does a farmer know if his soil is good? Someone teaches him. My father taught me which mixtures of clay, sand, and organic matter that would produce the best yields. My father was taught by his father, who spent decades circling grey fields. My grandfather was taught by his father before my great-grandfather was crushed by his tractor. Like my great-grandfather, many have lost their lives in the quest for better yields. The science of soil composition has been a process of trial and error at the expense of our dead ancestors.
The Heavens
After planting his seeds in the earth, a farmer looks to heaven for moisture. Once planted in the insulated protection of the dirt, a seed needs moisture to trigger germination to rupture their delicate exterior and expose their most vulnerable parts to the worldly elements thus leading to perpetuation. Whether or not a seed lives or dies, whether or not a farmer feeds his family, clothes his children, or pays for his dirt, is up to the heavens. After the seed is in the ground a farmer has no control. The irrefutable truth of a higher power is manifested in the annihilation of a crop with the sweep of a hail storm or in the cracks of the bare soil during a drought. A farmer is at the mercy of the of nature's unpredictability.
For the sake of eternal balance, a farmer offers his labor to the dirt to justify his painful existence and reap his substance. A farmer acts in faith as he orients his life as though the rain will indeed fall and his offerings will reproduce. His whole family is at risk of poverty as he buries remnants of last year’s harvest in the ground. Without sincere faith, this act has no logical substance. Without putting off what is easy in exchange for a productive future the farmer will never reach his full potential as a provider for the masses.
In-Between
The coordination between what can be controlled and what is controlling leads to the outcome. The space between the beginning and end of life, between now and the future, between failure and success, exists because of what takes place between heaven and dirt. As the farmer humbly follows the example of his ancestors, carefully watches the signs from the heavens, and reacts appropriately, it is as if he engages in a waltz where nature leads his every step. Once a farmer strikes this balance he has reached his full potential.
Such a balance between the human capacity for order and the understanding of potential chaos that might ensue extends far beyond farming. It is the means of creation. The common trait between a field full of sprouting crops and a light bulb is they were both created by harnessing and respecting potential. Human potential and the potential of unfamiliar powers.
When it comes down to the influence of the individual, there are limits to human capacity. Limits that are constrained by nature, forcing us to reduce our scope of influence on the world to things we can use to create. Creations that will benefit ourselves, and those around us. Thus, to a farmer, the world is nothing but dirt. But when combined with powers from heaven, a farmer becomes a creator.
*Image Courtesy of Creative Commons
I love how this essay is structured. It is easy to relate to and very clear. You use some very nice nouns. I like the parallelism at the end with all the uses of "I have..." Great job!
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