This morning, I woke up singing an old hymn I haven't heard in years:
"Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, we shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves."
Now, I'll be honest. As a child, I sang those words with great enthusiasm while having absolutely no idea what a "sheaf" was.
For all I knew, it might have been a Bible character, a casserole, or a distant relative!
A sheaf, of course, is a bundle of harvested grain gathered from the field. The hymn is based on Psalm 126:5-6:
"Those who sow in tears shall reap with songs of joy."
The picture is beautiful. Farmers work hard, planting seeds and trusting God for the harvest. They don't see results overnight. They wait. They pray. They persevere.
Isn't that a lot like the Christian life?
Many of us have loved ones who don't know Jesus. We've prayed for years. We've shared our faith. We've planted seeds of kindness, encouragement, and truth.
Sometimes we wonder if anything is happening.
But God is always at work.
The harvest belongs to Him.
Perhaps "bringing in the sheaves" means more than gathering grain. Maybe it's about seeing people come home to God. One heart at a time. One prayer at a time. One act of love at a time.
I think about grandparents praying for grandchildren, parents praying for prodigal children, friends praying for friends, and believers quietly sharing God's love wherever they go.
We may sow the seeds, but God brings the growth.
So let's don't give up on the people we've been praying for.
Let's keep loving.
Let's keep believing.
Let's keep sowing.
One day, by God's grace, we'll stand rejoicing at the harvest and discover that not one prayer was wasted.
And until then, if an old hymn pops into your head before sunrise, just sing along.
We never know what lesson God is planting in our hearts.
In the meantime -- let's keep bringing in the sheaves!
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