A Tree Planted By The Water

A pastor and a farmer were talking one day in a local café about the farmer’s soybean and corn crops. Rain had been abundant in recent weeks, and the results were evident. The soybeans and corn were shooting up dramatically. “All of this rain must be a great relief to you,” the pastor said. The farmer replied, “My crops are especially vulnerable now.” ‘What do you mean?” the pastor asked. The farmer replied, “Even a short drought could have a devastating effect.” “Why is that?” the pastor asked. The farmer explained, “When it rains so much, the plants are not required to push their roots deeper into the earth in search of water. All of the roots remain near the surface. If a drought hits and begins to dry out the earth, it also dries out those shallow roots. The plants then die quickly.” He concluded, “A good plant needs deep roots that can withstand what happens above the ground.”