Strawberry Fields

Farming is hard work...period! And sometimes one doesn’t see as much result as one wishes, despite pouring hours of labor into an agriculture project. But what rejoicing when the harvest is visible and abundant. That’s the case this year with my brother’s strawberry fields. His “Dad Bonney’s U-Pick” has seen many eager (and seemingly satisfied) customers over the past three weeks. Before my father entered eternity, he expressed great joy to see one of his sons take steps toward using the family farm land for blessing others in the production of food; it has also brought delight to the rest of the family.

I’ve had the privilege of manning “the shack”--looking after payments, answering questions, sometimes providing a hat or bottle of water to sweating pickers, helping pick berries to fill outside orders, and when needed, showing new arrivals where to pick. Since many of the pickers are known to me/my family, there has also been plenty of chatting in the shade/coolness of “the shack.” During the occasional lulls, I’ve enjoyed the setting/scene/quietness to spend time with God in His Word; He has personally challenged me as I’ve pondered the similarities and differences of spiritual fruit/harvest.

Yesterday, as the berry season was winding down for this season, I had a beautiful opportunity to listen to a frequent customer and eventually share Christ! Another family expressed interest in the copies of “God’s Offer” tract that were lying on the counter...and took three copies home with them. God is encouraging me that, although cultures differ, people need the Lord just as they do across the oceans. Praise God that, unlike physical farming, God’s Word will always bear fruit according to His good pleasure—Isaiah 55:5. “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” Let’s all be willing to work hard in God’s spiritual fields while remaining alert to opportunities to share His Word, the Truth, with assurance that there will be an abundant harvest in God’s time.