This past week during my time of reflection my thoughts settled on the life of the farmer. We do not have as many family farms as we once had. There was a time when many families survived because of their domestic farms. Whatever was needed could be found right in the backyard. Everyone in the family took responsibility for the upkeep of the farm because they knew their lives could be drastically altered by one unfruitful season. Depending on the time of year, many students would take a sabbatical from school in order to work on the farm. This is almost unheard of today, yet there are many lessons to be learned from the farmer.

Each year the farmer plants seeds not knowing the seed’s fate once planted. He simply believes that if he plants something in the ground, it will grow. So it is with our lives, if we plant seeds in our hearts and minds, they will eventually grow. As I pondered, I began to wonder, does the seed grow because it is supposed to, or does it grow because the farmer expects it to grow? Does his expectation have anything to do with the maturation of the seed? At surface level, one could argue it doesn’t. Yet, while the farmer’s belief does not make the seed grow, his faith causes him to plant the seed. We will never know what we can become if we never have enough faith to plant the seed. Regardless of the soil or life’s disadvantages, if we never dare to simply believe like the farmer, we’ll never reap a harvest.

I am convinced that we all have the capabilities to produce much fruit but past judgments have prevented us from planting. The farmer neither judges the seed based on its size nor its appearance. He makes observations based on the conditions that the seed will experience. If it is a cold and icy winter, the seed may have difficulty producing. When it is harvest time, the farmer does not look at the undersized produce and say you are no good and have no potential but he considers the weather that the seed endured. For the farmer, the small fruit that the seed produced that season is a testament to the seed’s ability to withstand harsh weather. This is why it is crucial to never look at one’s life in comparison to another. You may have just had a long cold winter; yet, you still produced. Rarely do we experience the same winters. But this season has to be better than the last. Until next week, keep planting seeds.

Darrio Melton is representative-elect to the Alabama Legislature from Dallas County.