It’s Harvest!

Have we forgotten what harvest means to us personally, as families, and as a community?

As far back as I can remember, I can’t think of a time when I wasn’t waiting for harvest. When I was young, it was the chance to do and learn something new, to prove myself as I worked hard.

I learned self-confidence and to be part of a team. I learned the importance of listening more than talking, to watch and pay attention to those in the older generation that had been doing harvest since before I was born.

The day came though when I was able to help and my skills had developed to where I was counted on year after year. I wasn’t just someone to help, but I became part of harvest in my community.

Harvest for the family is getting a chance to see all the hard work pay off.

For many families harvest is also a time of abundance and a sharing spirit.

It’s a time of hard work and fellowship as we move towards a common goal. That harvest spirit is one we try to hold onto throughout the year, as times get tough.

Sometimes there is not an abundance and it takes sacrifice as a family to make it to that next harvest. That time of difficulty teaches us what our family is made of.

The next harvest is more important because it means we have a chance at a new season and a new year.

Here harvest is everything. Without the harvest our towns wouldn’t be here. I believe none of the train tracks, hardware stores, machine shops or the grain unions would be here. I think we have taken the harvest for granted. It comes every year, both the good years and bad.

For some in our community harvest has become all about me, mine, and less about ours.

I’m not saying that we have completely forgotten or that everyone misses the meaning of harvest. I am only saying that we do not think about it like my grandparents’ generation did. That generation built the elevators and, really, these small towns.

We are still being blessed by their sacrifices. Harvest is a time of abundance, a new season and a new year!

Whether you and your family are getting ready for harvest or not, in this community we need to remember those working the harvest.

We need to rejoice with them, and find ways to show our support for one another, so that as a community we can take that harvest spirit and tackle the issues and challenges we face in this day and age. A community is people and the reason we do what we do is for the people we care about.

Dare I also say it is for the God who created us and blessed us with a good crop this year!

“The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest.” Psalms 85:12