Let me introduce you to two good friends, Harry and Philip - two well-off farmers, their fields adjoining each other’s - who made their money in an honest way, by tilling the land, and working hard. Nature gave them an abundant crop each year, and both used a part of their annual profits to help the poorer farmers in their village. Yes, Harry and Philip were good men.
One day, the dear Lord in heaven said, “These two have been working very hard year after year. I wish to reward them.” He sent his faithful heavenly messenger down to Earth, giving the messenger a clear set of instructions. The messenger smiled, and in a flash was standing next to the two friends who were taking a break, trying to escape the hot sun. The messenger looked at the two dumbstruck farmers, and said, “I have come from God. God wishes to reward your hard work and generosity. That is why I have been sent here.” The light emanations streaming from the messenger made the two friends recognise that this was no prank being played upon them by the village lads.
They heard the messenger, and said, “We are most grateful for this blessing. What is the reward, Oh Heavenly Messenger?” They were delighted when the reply was, “God wants to give you the gift of increasing your abundance tenfold. He shall gift you the ability to do so.”
“Thank you”, said Harry. “Is there something that our dear lord would desire us to do?”
“Yes,” said the messenger. Turning his head from right to left, he looked at the young, unripe heads of wheat in both of their fields, and said, “When this crop ripens, and becomes a golden yellow, you have to pull it out by the roots, check the roots for any parasites, and throw those away. The rest of the golden yellow crop you have to plough back into your field. Do not use even one grain of it. Once you have ploughed it back into your field, then you shall immediately sow fresh seeds.” The messenger paused to take in the incredulity that was writ large upon the faces of these two good and simple men. “There is one more thing,” he continued. “God has permitted me to tell you, that He is changing all the seasons. You have earned the right to have this knowledge. Soon the seasons shall change, and God shall ensure that you have the sun and the rain and the wind, at exactly the time when you need them the most for your crops. But you shall have to continue to work as hard as you do today, or else this gift shall not benefit you.” Before they could question the messenger any further, there was a strong flash of light, and the messenger had vanished.
Harry and Philip spent the next few months in a high state of excitement. When the wheat had turned into a beautiful golden yellow, both asked each other, “Not use this? We have to pull this out, and plough it back? That seems rather a waste. Would a messenger of God tell us to do this? Are we being lead astray? What should we do?”
Harry discussed this with his family, being particular to point out to them how much money they stood to lose by not selling the grain. His dear wife said, “I truly believe that it was a messenger of God, and I don’t believe that God would lead us astray. Yes, we stand to lose our annual profits, but we do have money saved from yesteryears. We shall not go hungry. Let us hold on to our faith.”
Philip heard Harry, and said, “No, I don’t think it is the right way to go about this. It doesn’t make sense to me. You do it this year if you wish, and if I am wrong, I shall do it the next year.” Happy with this decision, Philip took his crop, and sold it in the market, giving part of the profits to the poor farmers as he did each year. Harry, on the other hand, did exactly as he had been told by the messenger. In truth, he often felt twinges of doubt, especially when the neighbours looked at him as if he had lost his mind.
A short while later, exactly as they had been told, the region was beset with heavy unseasonal rain. The flood did no harm to Harry’s field because the grain that he had ploughed back into the soil absorbed the water. Philip’s field, on the other hand, became water-logged. Some weeks later they had strong windstorms. Harry’s crop had grown slowly, and was still rather short. The wind was unable to uproot them, but Philip’s crops were flattened by the first strong gusts of wind.
As though this were not enough, some weeks later, when the farmers needed a gentle sun for the ripening of their crops, the sun shone like it had never before. The little that was left of Philip’s field, was scorched, but Harry’s field that had absorbed so much of the rain due to the crops that had been ploughed into the soil, thrived in the heat of the sun.
Looking at his barren field, Philip realised that he, alone, had been responsible for his losses. He, like Harry, had been gifted the ability to increase his already abundant crop, but his fears and doubt, had been greater than his faith. A few days later, when Harry knocked at Philip’s door, bringing with him a truckload of wheat to share with his friend, Philip smiled, and said, ‘I feel no shame in accepting this gift from a man of faith. This crop shall remind me, each day, that we are the creators of our miracles, and that faith is as important as hard work. You are not a farmer, my friend, you are a reaper of miracles.”
(Inspired by a parable of Kryon)