Giving Without Receiving

There was once a farmer, who spent years cultivating the perfect garden. He spent years and years tending to it, only letting the best people near it. It was his heart and soul, the most important pieces of his life. Every morning, he'd come out to check on his corn, his tomatoes, his peppers, etc, in his calming daily routine.

One day, a man came by and asked the farmer if he could borrow his corn. The farmer replied, "Sure! As long as you can bring some back at some point!" The next day, a girl came by and asked if she could borrow the farmer's tomatoes. The farmer replied "Well, I'm feeling a little weary now that my corn is gone, but you seem nice, so sure. Just promise that when you have some tomatoes, you'll bring some back to share with me." She agreed.

The next day, the farmer was looking around at his garden, realizing that it was looking way less full than before. He felt a little empty inside. Just then, a group of people approached the farmer, asking if they may have the rest of his stock. "We're really hungry, and everything looks so good! Would you mind if we each took a share? I'm sure they'll grow back next season!" The farmer replied, "Well, that would totally empty out my once plentiful garden, but I think you'd all enjoy it. So go ahead, I can do without." They responded "We really appreciate it, and we promise to come back one day and replace all we've taken".

None of the people ever returned to the farm. The farmer came out for the next few months, hoping to rebuild his once mighty farm. He looked down, seeing just holes and dirt where the crops used to grow. Another lady approached, and the farmer said "I don't have any crops left to give. They've all been used up. But if you're hungry, I could go see what I have inside." The lady replied, "No, I just wanted to ask you something. I saw all those people take and take from you, with no return. And yet you kept giving. After years and years of hard work, you have nothing to show for it. Why aren't you more upset?"

The Farmer retorted back, "Well, I'm sad to see my crops gone, but people needed them. My hard work fed people and made them happy. Now there are pieces of my heart and soul spread out across a ton of places. Isn't that the point of growing in the first place?"

-Jason Burke