Wheat Harvest

Harvest time, reaping that which one has sown, is something earth's inhabitants, through all generations, have anxiously anticipated.

Recently I had the opportunity to experience a wheat harvest. My brother planted a plot of wheat last winter and we watched it mature - from bright green shoots refreshing and vibrant to flowing waves of golden grain.

The day was hot and sultry as we gathered in my brother's yard to began the harvesting process. Aside from a tractor to cut the grain we had no modern machinery to assist us. So we did it the old fashioned way. It was probably very much like the process used in Bible days. My brother cut and raked the grain into rows. My sister gathered it up and brought it to me and I tied it into sheaves. Then we stacked it in upright circles where it needed to stand for two weeks before we could thresh it.

As I sat in the heat, tying the sheaves, my thoughts wandered through the many Bible stories which speak of harvesting. I looked at the little dabs of tangled wheat which was left behind and thought of the hard work it must have been for Ruth to glean in the fields and gather enough of this stray grain to feed herself and Naomi.

Between rows I had a few moments to rest. During these times I chose to gather heads of wheat and roll them between my hands. This pulled the husks loose from the grain. Then I blew air into my hand, sending the chaff flying, and ate the delicious grain which was left behind. After a few moments of doing this, I realized I wasn't retaining much grain. For as I blew into my hand the smaller kernels would blow away with the chaff. I varied the strength of my puffs of air, trying to find just the right amount to blow away the chaff and yet retain all the wheat. I found it an impossible task. No matter how hard I tried, I could not remove all the chaff and not lose some wheat.

The grain would be worthless if the chaff was not removed but the process of removing chaff can be detrimental to the grain, if left to unskilled hands. There are times when we can look at another person's life and see chaff there. Somehow, we think it our duty to remove it. We take up the task and blow strongly, seeking to separate chaff from grain, but succeed only in blowing away grain with the chaff! The job of removing chaff is a job for God, not man. He alone has the wisdom, mercy, and skill to accomplish this work without blowing away the precious grain.

We do have a work to do in our own lives, a work of cooperating with God as He removes the chaff from us. In this way, we can be uplifting to others, as they experience living examples of God's love and handiwork.

I look forward to the harvest of God's people in this earth, and want desperately to help in the process, but think it best to leave the winnowing to God who alone is perfect in wisdom and love.

Bonnie Morsette ~ 6/30/2009