432- A Farmer Becoming a Minister(4)

 

St-Takla.org Image: A man riding a horse. صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا: رجل يمتطي حصان.

In the eighteenth century, an English farmer wanted to experiment in his field to produce better crops. He was a serious person and he exerted a lot of effort in his first experiment but he completely failed to achieve his goal. Undefeated, the farmer tried a new experiment, which also failed. The same thing was repeated and again he failed. However, every time he did not give up.

He finally sat down to think about what to do. He failed in all his agricultural experiments but he never felt weak or defeated. He began to examine the reasons behind his failure and recorded his thoughts about the matter so that others can benefit from his bitter and costly experiences.

For the love he had for his country and his fellowmen, he published these notes in a book titled, “How to Farm. The book was very popular and many people benefited from it. Moreover, the farmer amassed a fortune from it. He was later elected a minister in the government.

That is how a person with a strong heart transforms all the bitter experiences into power for him and for all those who are around him. Therefore, Saint Paul says,

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1.7).

→ English translation of the story here at St-Takla.org: مزارع يصير وزيرًا.

When my soul feels down deep inside of me,

Your Fiery Spirit, that of strength and not of failure, acts in me.

He transforms my failure into a spectacular success.

Out of the darkness of my heart comes the glory of the resurrection.

You open heaven’s doors for me.

Defeat would not be able to capture my soul.

Instead, it soars while praising to the open heaven.

Footnotes and references for this page here at St-Takla.org:

 (4) Watany Newspaper. 1 Mar. 1998.

Young Pephnoti’s Tears

Short Stories (Stories for the Youth) Books by Father Tadros Yacoub Malaty

A Royal Funeral