BY REV. CORY L. KEMP |
Fall is traditionally seen as the harvesting in of the summer crops, particularly in more rural areas of which we have so many in our country.
Of course, many people have been gleaning crops from their own backyards (or benefiting from our neighbors’ efforts) over the summer as well – green beans, snap peas, sweet corn, strawberries, and raspberries, a list to which you can add your own favorites.
But the fall harvest completes the bringing in of the final crops, preparing and storing them for enjoyment during the long winter months ahead. Potatoes, plums, apples, pears, and onions, to name a few, were not only grown and reaped by our ancestors, but dried, stewed, cooked, canned, and stored on shelves as a visual representation of the abundance their steady, consistent work brought forth. Raspberry jam spread on warm buttered toast on a cold January morning is indescribably delicious and warms the soul as nothing else can. One of our Old Testament prophets summed it up well: “My people will be satisfied with my bounty,” says the Lord.” – Jeremiah 31:14
Image via Dan Cristian Pădureț on Unsplash.com
There is also another kind of harvest, one which happens throughout the year and our entire lives.
As well as being blessed with specific gifts by God, you and I are constantly receiving, learning and growing as human beings and as God’s faithful people. How we choose to share those rich resources is our response to God’s call for us to serve.
“Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you have received.” – I Peter 4:10. Just like the wonderful harvests that fill our tables, our gifts fill the hearts, lives, and souls of those we serve by God’s grace in the richest possible measure.
So, at this time of year when summer activities are winding down, children are returning to school, and the leaves start sharing their beautiful designs and colors, it is good to remember that God always provides bountiful harvests in all sorts of ways. Our deep blessing is that we get to contribute to and receive from God’s wealth and goodness every day.
About the author
The Rev. Cory L. Kemp is founder and faith mentor with Broad Plains Faith Coaching. Cory, employing her signature Handcrafted Faith program, supports ordained and lay women leaders in visualizing, understanding and strengthening their beliefs, so that they may know, love and serve God and their communities with generosity, wisdom, and joy.
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