Can't Wait to Try Again

Another sunny day and another cause for celebration (by farmers) as it is another day to attempt to rescue the crops for the harvest. However, sunny skies do not guarantee that the fields are solid enough to drive heavy equipment over them. While on our farm the combine can go through the fields, it's not true for the trucks which haul the grain out of the field.

Still, we are so thankful that the combine has been able to go over the soft earth and harvest the waiting grain. Taking the combine to the edge of the field to transfer grain to the waiting truck may be time consuming, but it is far better than not harvesting at all.

We do have another issue this year—drying the corn once it has been harvested. For the past several years, we have been so blessed as the corn has matured and dried in the fields before harvest.

This year is a different story—a wet spring; late planting; re-planting; lack of warm sunshine needed for growth and maturity; and a wet fall. In a nutshell, it is not an optimum year. After the corn is picked, there must be some method of drying it to a lower moisture content. Drying requires expensive fuel, but otherwise, the selling price the farmer will receive at the grain elevator is considerably reduced. Furthermore, if one tries to store the corn on the farm in bins to sell later, there is a far greater risk that wet corn will spoil, rot, and become worthless.

Are you picking up on the negativity I have described? However, there is a most interesting observable phenomenon. We were at a gathering last night in which most of the men there were farmers. You can guess what the conversations always turned to. One might have expected the atmosphere to be gloomy, sad, and depressing. Not so! Oh, there was a bit of head shaking with a mention that the year was certainly challenging, but the faces were smiling, full of hope and optimism. “So while this year might not be one of our best,” they would indicate, “next year will surely be better and I just can’t wait to try again.”

Do you think we could learn some life lessons from those farmers? How easy it is for each of us to give in to gloom, sadness, and depression when circumstances around us are looking gloomy, sad, and depressing! I believe the lesson learned was “Don’t accept that this is the way things will always be.” The farmers are right! There is another planting, growing, and harvest season right around the corner. Better times are coming.

Genesis 8:22 "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest. . .will never cease."

♫ And it won't rain always
The clouds will soon be gone
The sun that they've been hiding
Has been there all along

And it won't rain always
God's promises are true
The sun's gonna’ shine
In His own good time
And He will see you through

Gloria Gaither/Bill Gaither/Aaron Wilburn