Harvest Time Up Ahead -- Keep Doing Good!

This blog inspiration is brought to us today by our good friend and mentor, St. Paul. His words are filled with hope for those of us who have been on the "do-good" tractor -- planting and planting, and we've been wondering if it has been worth it. Oh, but then comes Paul's firey voice cheering us on: "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9)

It has been a tough row to hoe (speaking in planting and reaping terms) the last few years. Maybe you've gritted your teeth to stay kind and to bear it all. Or, you shut your eyes and put ear plugs in to deafen the harshness of the loud voices of the enemy. You may read these words and relate them to stuff going on in your family, or you may relate them to what's outside. Stones have been cast and angry voices raised. Hit and run proclamations. But we are still standing, somewhat stunned, but we're still here. We must not be done. It’s in times like these that retreat sounds so safe. Let’s go home, lock the doors, bar the windows and disconnect the doorbell. Gather up our stockpiled faith and ration out just enough to survive. It seems tempting to safeguard our hearts by taking them right out and sticking them in a steel encased safe. Then forget the combination.

But, then, our tried, tested and proven faith warrior friend, St. Paul -- who suffered great physical pain, was imprisoned, shipwrecked, mocked and beaten for his faith -- speaks again as a challenge and invitation: “Let us not grow weary of doing good." These words bring tears to my eyes, a lump to my throat. It's in this deeper, invisible place that sees the best in people, that reaches out in love, that keeps believing folks can change. This sort of hope has taken a beating lately. And as I type this blog, I talk to God about it and He replies "I understand."

I realize, He does. More than I can know, more than any of us comprehend. He knows what it is to love and love. To extend yourself so far that you are....oh, stretched out on a cross. Then we hear the words of St. Paul again: "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2) Fixing our eyes on Jesus changes everything. Consider the perfect Man who endured such opposition from sinful men. Perhaps we are so disillusioned these days because we have been looking at each other. And we, mere humans, always fall short. We disappoint. We cave. But not Jesus.

So, we suit up and we keep doing good -- like Jesus. He is the reason we can stay in the race. Take the next step. Keep going. Keep believing. Most of all, keep loving. Not locked away, but the safest place for our hearts is entrusting them to the One who for the joy set before Him endured the cross. The One who does not grow weary. The One who, in the middle of all the noise and chaos and even danger, will never allow our hearts to be lost. So what do we do? We keep doing good -- harvest time is up ahead. I'm getting the biggest John Deere tractor I can find -- I'll need it because I'm not quitting. I'm going to love even more and expecting to reap a mammoth harvest! Care to borrow my tractor?

What Does Your Life ECHO?

I was in a store and heard a young child speak an unthinkable string of words. I spun my head around to see what the parent was going to do because I could hardly believe my ears. Yet the parent seemed oblivious to his words. Evidently, the parent put the words out there and the child echoed those words back. In another situation, I witnessed a child putting her little hands on her mama’s face and with fervency exclaimed, “I love you sooo much!” That child echoed the words she had heard. What is being echoed in your home and in your sphere of influence?

An ECHO is like sowing and reaping. What we plant, we harvest. If we only speak AND think and if we only plant and sow words of doubt, negativity, unbelief, worry, and anger, then we can expect back the echo (the harvest) of the same. On the other hand, when we are speaking and thinking, planting and sowing -- good thoughts of blessings, love, joy, generosity, peace, kindness, and respect – then that echo will come back with the same.

It’s the Fall season which, of course, leads to thoughts of harvest time and reaping what we’ve sown. With this post, I’m encouraging all of us to think about what our life is reaping. God's laws of reciprocity have never changed. "You reap what you sow." Galatians 6:7 We know the repercussions of negative sowing so if we want a harvest of what we sincerely desire, we'll make sure that our "planting" produces a crop of blessings! If we’re not reaping the blessings we’d like to have, then maybe it’s time to give thought to the seeds we planted.

If we planted honesty, we'll reap trust.
If we planted friendship, we'll reap friends.
If we planted love, we'll reap love.
If we planted hard work, we'll reap success.
If we planted forgiveness, we'll reap reconciliation.
If we plant faith in God, we'll reap a harvest of blessings.

I’m on a mountaintop and I’m yelling “I love you! The echo is “I love you!”. I’m shouting “You are strong and courageous: My echo is “You are strong and courageous!” Imagine you’re on that mountaintop today – what are you shouting and what is coming back at you?

Remember, you are the director of your own movie. You can say CUT at any time to negative speaking and thinking! So go ahead and rewrite the ending to be one of a great harvest of blessings because that’s what you planted during the first scene of the movie!

What is Your Life Echoing Today?

What is your life echoing today?

In other words, what is your life reaping?

I learned this lesson well. I remember when I would wake in a grumpy mood and everyone in the house could feel it. Before long......they would chime in, and they'd be grumpy, too! We, literally, can set the tone and the atmosphere of our day by what we send out. Happy Mama = happy family. Grumpy Mama = grumpy family.

God's laws of reciprocity have never changed. "We do reap what we sow." Galatians 6:7. And, we know the repercussions of positve AND negative sowing. But to have the harvest we sincerely desire, let's make sure our "planting" produces a crop of blessings! And, let's make sure our ECHO resounds with all those things we want back!

If we plant honesty, we'll reap trust.
If we plant friendship, we'll reap friends.
If we plant humility, we'll reap greatness.
If we plant love, we'll reap love.
If we plant hard work, we'll reap success.
If we plant forgiveness, we'll reap reconciliation.
If we plant faith in God, we'll reap a harvest of blessings.
So let's do a check-up -- from the neck-up -- and let's turn our day into blessings!