Well, harvest is in full-swing and it is an exciting time of year! Many places are having record yields which is part of what makes this year especially exciting.
I want to share a thought with you that pertains to the opportunities that are present once the fields are cleared of the crop. To people who are not involved in agriculture, a field that has been harvested may look like a “job well done”, with nothing to think about again until spring. But, nothing could be further from the truth! You see, while those crops have been growing, not only have things been happeningabove the ground, but things have been happening at ground level and beneath the ground as well. When the crops are tall and lush, we can’t necessarily see if changes are occuring underneath those stands. But, once the crop is taken off the field, then observations can be made. Observations such as variations in the soil. Maybe a small area has become vulnerable to erosion. Or maybe a broken tile underneath the surface has caused a small hole in the ground. Discovering these minor variations is the first step to dealing with them. Because while some minor variations may be just that, minor, more often than not, minor variations lead to major disruptions if they are not addressed.
This task of taking inventory of the soil after the crop has been cleared away is a good lesson for life in general. Sometimes we can be distracted by surface things and miss something that might be really important, something that is only found by looking beyond the obvious.
We might miss seeing a person who is in need; we might miss realizing that we have a bad habit that may need to be addressed; we might miss noticing a beautiful moment in the midst of our day that gives us a sense of hope for the future.
It is so important to pause and realize that even when we think the most important thing has been taken care of, such as the crops being harvested, that that is only the beginning of the excitement of seeing something bigger at work.
May we have the same attention to detail in our own hearts and lives.
Enjoy the day, my friends!