While on a drive through the country this week, I had to move over and slow down for a tractor and planter passing the other way. It was a cold, wet day; no planting weather, and it was only mid-March, far too early for most seeds to go in the ground.

So were they out for a pleasure drive? Not likely.

If I were a betting man, I’d say that planter was headed to the farm shop for a thorough going-over before the season begins.

That got me thinking about the days when I was putting a crop in the field. When does the season actually start? The answer may surprise you.

It starts the summer before.

I can remember taking notes all season long—watching how different fields, seed varieties, weather patterns, and soil conditions affected the crop. I often planted a “test plot,” placing different varieties side by side under the same conditions. Those plots told the truth. They shaped the seed decisions for the next year.

Between personal observation and the shared wisdom of other farmers, decisions were already being made long before a single seed touched the soil. In fact, when you think about it, half the season is over before planting even begins.

And then there were the contingencies. What if the weather didn’t cooperate? What if planting was delayed into early summer? Do you switch hybrids… or even crops altogether?

Decisions. Adjustments. Preparation.

All of it leading to one moment— the day you place the seed in the ground and trust that it will grow.

Life isn’t all that different.

We plan.

We think.

We gather information.

But eventually, there comes a day when the seed has to go in the ground. There comes a day when you step onto the field… or into the moment.

No more talk.

No more speculation.

Just… plant.

And here’s the truth: it’s almost never perfect conditions. It may look good the day you plant, but what about the week after? Flooding rains… or no rain at all.

Still, the seed must go in.

Because it will never grow in the bag.

Whether it’s business, family, church, or your own personal growth—everything comes down to this: plant the seed and trust God with the outcome.

Jesus said it this way:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

—John 12:24 (ESV)

Farmers are intentional about how they plant. I encourage you to be just as intentional with the seeds in your life.

But remember…nothing grows until something is planted.

From Soil To Soul,

Jarvis