It’s wheat harvest time around here. There’s combines and trucks and dust and noise down every road (and I mean every one–even the highways around here!) and it’s a fascinating process to watch. But as I’ve driven around this week watching it, it’s also rather…well…violent.

There’s nothing soft and peaceful (or quiet) about it. The Bible uses a lot of harvesting parables and illustrations and I think this is part of the reason. Life is not gentle and peaceful and easy–the value is reaped from the work, from the sweat and toil, from the dirt.

“…Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:12)

Today I am thankful for the harvest. Thankful for the gritty work of salvation. Thankful that I have full assurance that my labor, my trials, my sweat and tears are not in vain. That one day I will be gathered into the garner (which is a storehouse or granary).

The daily grind can get so exhausting. Work, school, cooking laundry, sweeping, mowing, feeding, watering, piano, parties, hobbies, recreation…our lives are so full of resources and opportunities we consistently bite off more than we can chew because we don’t want to miss out on anything. We want to do, have, be everything.

And yet, we’re asked to do none of those things.

“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good: and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” (Micah 6:8)

Today I’m thankful for the peace of knowing I’m doing the best I can and that means I’m doing just fine. I’m thankful to know that God desires a right heart more than a right hand.

I’m thankful that each morning is a fresh start, a new page, a second chance. A gift.

“It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

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