The Tobacco Farmer

Tobacco is a crop that requires a lot of work at certain specific times in the progress of the growing season. When the work needs to be done, it needs to be done now or your crop will suffer.

It was early in the growing season. W– was a tobacco farmer. He was out in his field one day and was hard pressed to do the task that needed to be done. He knew it would be all he could do to get done before it was too late.

A storm cloud began to grow on the western horizon. W– looked up and prayed: “God, please don’t let it rain on my tobacco.”

It didn’t.

All year it didn’t.

His tobacco got about eight inches tall. The crop was a total failure. There was nothing he could do about it.

Years later, he told me this story one Sunday after church. Then, he added: “Now when I see a cloud, I leave it up to God. If He wants it to rain, then let it rain.”

Be careful what you pray for.

old elephant

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