Leadership Echo: Prodigal 6 - Farmer Digsley: Space to Move Forward

There are echoes of Philippians 1:6 in leadership that trusts God to finish what He began.

When the famine finally broke the prodigal named Sonny, something inside him began to change. While feeding pigs, he started quietly rehearsing the words he hoped to say if he ever went home.

To Farmer Digsley, it sounded like distraction, a worker talking to himself instead of staying on task. But Digsley didn’t correct him or demand focus. He simply gave him space.

That kind of patience takes faith. A farmer knows you can plant the seed, water the ground, and guard the field; but only God makes it grow. Digsley couldn’t fix Sonny’s heart, and he didn’t try.

He trusted that God was still at work, remembering the truth of Philippians 1:6: “He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Letting go isn’t losing control, it’s placing someone in God’s hands. Leadership, friendship, and even parenting all reach moments where you can’t force growth; you can only trust that the One who began the work will bring it to completion.

Take time to reflect this week: Is there someone you need to release—trusting that the work God began in them is still unfolding?

When have you seen someone’s growth accelerate after you stopped trying to control the outcome?