"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest." (Luke 10:2)
By virtue of our baptism, we are laborers of the harvest. Harvesting, however, is hard work.
This past week, I hoed my garden. Because of abundant - almost too much - rain in June, the weeds were taking over, and I hadn't been able to get out there and keep them under control. Now, my garden is not large by any means; it only contains a few plants. My husband likes the smell of corn - yes, the smell - so I usually plant some corn. This year, I also planted beans, peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, carrots, and lettuce. Not a lot; just enough to get my hands a bit dirty and enjoy some fresh vegetables.
Because my garden is small, I use a regular hand hoe to eliminate the weeds. Every time I hoe, I gain a new respect for farmers. After just half an hour or so of hoeing and pulling weeds, my back end was sore, my arms felt like rubber, and sweat was dripping into my eyes. (I think I need to upgrade my exercise regimen!) How do farmers do this all day every day?
I shared my respect for farmers at our parish staff meeting the following morning. My pastor, who grew up on a farm, told me that these days, most farmers use chemicals to eliminate the weeds, and they have equipment to make their work a little easier. So farmers don't hoe by hand. I was feeling a little bit justified for my sore back and stiff arms and legs.
Then I remembered my daughter's horse riding instructor. Through the summer, she often calls my daughter to help bale hay. Baling hay is not easy work. Granted, machines are typically used to cut and bale the hay, but the bales still need to be tied and loaded onto wagons and then stacked into barns. That is back-breaking, hot, dusty, and itchy work. My daughter's instructor says that most of her "harvesters" don't make it through the day. She and her farmer friends, however, have to make sure the hay is baled and stored before rains or storms so that the crop isn't ruined. This helped me re-gain my profound respect for farmers, at least hay farmers.
Like baling hay, harvesting for the Kingdom of God is not easy work. Jesus told his seventy-two harvesters, "I am sending you like lambs among wolves." He instructed them to "carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals; and greet no one along the way." He didn't give them "tools" to make their harvesting easier, but he did give them something to empower and encourage them: His Peace.
By virtue of our baptism, we, too, are called to help with the harvest. Jesus calls us to proclaim, preach, and share the Kingdom of God with others in the world by our words and actions. He never said it would be easy, but he promises us the peace of his Holy Spirit to empower and encourage us. We need to stay connected to the Holy Spirit in order to be effective harvesters.
We stay connected to the Holy Spirit through prayer. In order to know where God wants us to work in the harvest - and there are many, many ministries from which to choose - we need to listen for God's instructions. The prayer of quiet is the best way to listen for God's instructions. If we calm our racing minds, put away the distractions of the world, and sit quietly in God's presence, we will hear God's voice whispering guidance in the depths of our hearts. God's whisperings are those desires that we feel deep in our hearts prompting us to act.
In addition to listening for God's whispers, we also need to discern that the desires in our hearts are really something that we can do. The prayer of discernment is critical for knowing where God is calling us to serve in the Kingdom. Discernment involves weighing the pro's and con's, discussing options and opportunities with others whose directions and opinions we respect, and even doing different actions and ministries to see if they fit with our abilities (like an internship).
Through the prayer of quiet and discernment, we will know where God is sending us to work for the harvest. Filled with the peaceful presence of the Holy Spirit, we will persevere through the back-breaking and heart-wrenching labor of the harvest. In this way, we will live our baptismal promises and help to bring about the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God.
Faith Chat Questions:
Adults: To what part of the harvest is God calling you? What is God calling you to do for the kingdom of God?
Youth/Children: How do you tell (or show) others about your faith in Jesus? What risks do you have to take to share your faith with others?
Faith Response: Prayer helps us to hear God's whispering words of love, encouragement, and direction. Listening to God in prayer is critical for doing what God is calling us to do. As a family, talk about those things that get in the way of taking time to listen to God in prayer each day.
Pray: Christ Jesus, you have called us to follow you through the waters of Baptism. Help us to take time to listen to your direction for our lives. Amen.
