First Baptist Church of Herndon

The Harvest

Linda Soller | Nov 14, 2016

Ah autumn! It’s my favorite time of year. I love the brisk air, the beautiful colors of nature, and the exciting events that fill the calendar. Sure, one day it’s hot and the next day it’s freezing, but really it’s a small price to pay for Halloween candy, turkey and dressing, pumpkin pie, and selecting Christmas gifts. If you really allow yourself to get into the season you may find that paying property taxes, and listening to rude politicians over and over again, will eventually become a distant memory. Notice I said eventually. Autumn is a time to harvest relationships and memories. We gather together to celebrate and prepare for the coming year. Like the fields we will be tossed and turned, but unlike the fields we cannot afford to lay quietly waiting for the spring.

Our Drop-In class is looking at the Bible as a cornucopia of hope. Let’s face it, we can all use some hope.  As we enjoy this harvest time we can’t lose sight of those who see autumn more as a dire warning of the cold tide to come. We see homeless people emerge wearing every layer they can stand to have on. We hear of children, all over our country and the world, who do not have enough to eat. Daily we read stories of those who harm others in order to make an ideological point or feed their own ego. It may seem on the surface that hope is something we used to have, back in the good ole days. But these are the good ole days.

Jesus did not sugarcoat hope. He did not treat it lightly. He told of pruning bushes so they could give a better harvest. He reminded people to stay with Him and hang in there when the going got tough. Autumn, like Jesus’ warnings, tries to prepare us for what we will face down the road, yet many will not heed. Jesus offers hope, yet many will not accept it. Jesus tells us to spread His hope and love, yet many will not obey.

Autumn is the time of harvest. Gather up your hope, your prayers, your resources and share them. Scatter them on the languishing “soil” we call mankind. They will surely nourish the “soil” so it can go forth and bloom. You cannot cure all the ills of the world, but you can harvest your strength, faith, and love to feed the garden we call hope.

Happy Harvest!    : o)  Linda