Picking Stones

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If you can get out into the country a ways - where it's undeveloped or you can find acres of cropland - you might start to notice piles of rocks along the fence lines or in valleys and ravines.

Maybe you read in Laura Ingalls Wilder or another book about farm life on the prairie where the kids were sent to pick stones from the field.

Jumbled and juggled through the soil until they broke through, these rocks and stones were hazardous to farm equipment.  At the least it could disrupt a straight row of corn or beans. 

If the worst happened, the rocks could take out a plow blade.  That could require a lengthy repair with a blacksmith's fire or trip to the implement dealer for a new plow.

Large and small rocks could be used effectively for fences or in gullies to reduce erosion. It's a task most of us don't have to worry about anymore.

Yield to the rock.  It may not be larger than you, but you ignore it at your peril.  It can stub your toe or put you out of business.  It can be used as a tool or a reminder of sloth as your trudge around it every day.

Each of us have some rock picking to do in our lives.  We may not be able to remove the offending stone completely from our life, but maybe it can be set aside.  Find a use for the rock, perhaps it becomes a cautionary tale that helps others avoid the rocks in their path.

In the Bible, the parable of the seed, talks about seeds that fall on ground covered in stones. 

Matthew 13:5 - 6   Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.

The stones, used properly, might become a strong foundation.  Rock can be shaped, polished, or hewn into pieces of art.

Left alone, they rise to the surface over time and get in our way.

As you cultivate your way through life, watch out for the rocks.