fallow fields and our most productive possibilities

As I flew into Kansas last week on a business trip, I viewed the heartland (and cropland) of America from my window seat.

An abundance of green flooded my retinas as fields of sorghum and corn sprouted in all of its glory. An occasional golden field represented wheat in the grand scheme of things. I didn't see much in the way of brown, though. Very few parcels lay fallow.

In order to obtain my Geography minor from UT-Austin, I had to endure an "Agricultural Geography" class, which made me feel like an ignorant city kid and an Aggie at the same time. Still, I learned one thing: the importance of the fallow field.

In order for land to be it's most productive, it must be periodically allowed to rest, lest all of the nutrients be removed by the constant use.

We are built the same way, aren't we? We were not built for constant production. We need holidays and down time. We need seasons of peace. We need sports and theater and politics and other trivialities to allow our souls time to refresh themselves.

We must build in a fallow season. As counter-intuitive as it may seem, we are created in such a way that we must be purposefully unproductive in order to produce at our greatest level.

So, next time things seems too quiet or a bit boring, resist the urge to complain and yearn for more to accomplish. Instead, enjoy the restorative inactivity - the fallow moments that keep us going.


(The above picture is of Kansas crop-land as viewed from high above - thanks to the Wiki...)