Harvest Time

Dear Kids,

Galatians 6:9. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Thanks, Dad & Luke, for all your hard work!

It’s harvest time in the Sheridan household. The past two weekends our family has spent a lot of time going through our garden patch picking beans, digging potatoes, and plucking corn from the stalk. This time of year is always so fun when you get to enjoy the fruit of all your summer labors. The hot hours of planting, fertilizing, and weeding finally pay off when you get to harvest a nice, ripe tomato and savor a yummy stir-fry made with all home-grown produce.

There have been other years, though, when our harvest wasn’t as good. Some summers the work became too much and we quit trying to take care of the ever-growing weeds. They won the battle and the result was not as plentiful.

The best garden years have always been the ones when we did not become weary with the work. Though we have not usually been able to keep everything looking perfect, Dad has done an amazing job at keeping the plants free from the life-killing weeds.

Life is like this in so many ways. It is easy to start something with enthusiasm, but when the going gets tough we tire of our efforts. It’s hard to press on at the end of a ball game when you are physically exhausted. It is hard to study school lessons right up to the last day when the sunshine starts calling to you through the window. And it is hard to follow through with a job or commitment when life starts putting a time crunch on you or other things seem more inviting.

The Christian life is no different. It is a journey that requires consistency in the daily disciplines of Bible study, prayer, and seeking after God. Even when we stumble, we need to pick ourselves up, ask forgiveness, and carry on. As we do what God wants us to and encourage others to do the same, we will reap an abundant harvest of eternal life to enjoy forever.

It’s important in whatever you are doing, whether it be life commitments or your Christian walk, not to grow weary and give up. For those who press on there is an abundant harvest to look forward to. I am glad Dad didn’t give up on the garden this year because now is the time to enjoy the fruit of the labor. Is anybody up for vegetable stir-fry for dinner tonight?

Love,

Mama