It never ends...

The other night I took my husband supper as he unloaded corn in the dark and my son as he hauled it from the field. It was late and I was about to put our younger kids to bed, but the farmers worked on. At harvest (and honestly every season on the farm), the work never ends...there is always something more to do.

As the world went to sleep and the farmers pressed on, my mind went to work - this never ending work, it's not just a farming thing. Thoughts drifted back to my basketball playing days...if the season ended today, my philosophy was next year's started tomorrow. There was no off-season. There was always work to do and areas that needed improvement.

My roles no longer include playing or coaching, but I do have the title of wife and Mom. Friends, those of you who wear these hats understand - there is ALWAYS more to do. Seasons come and go, but there's always work to do. Our kids grow and change more than my husband's corn and beans, we don't have the option of taking a year off or changing the growing rotation. We must press on and be diligent.

This idea is even more true when we look at our role as Christians. Following Jesus and being His disciple is not a role to take lightly and not a task we can complete by going to church on Sunday morning. Just like the farmer, we must work from sun up to sun down if we want to grow closer to the Son who saves.

Friend, I have to admit it but the other night when it was late and I was delivering another meal, I was a bit tired of the work harvest demands. Honestly, I really wasn't doing the work...sure it's changed our daily routine, I've made a few extra trips to get corn tested and have told my 12 year old to drive careful more than usual, but I'm not the one in the tractor, running the augur or making decisions.

But isn't that how it is in life? Am I the only one who sometimes gets tired of the work? I mean there's always more dishes, more laundry, more meals. And that's the easy stuff because there's also more sibling fights, illnesses and disobedience. That's just the physical stuff, but the spiritual and emotional things continue too - there's more tears, more anxiety, more sin. Daily we have new sins to confess and prayers to pray.

This work...it can get tiring and at times can even be overwhelming. The other day I found myself focusing on the what (work) and when (always) a bit too much. Through my morning devotional God spoke to my heart and reminded me of the who, how and why. As I read His Word my mind was renewed and perspective was changed. Friend, if you're there may these words from Him encourage you -

"Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. * Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going. * Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the LORD and not to men, knowing that from the LORD you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. * We desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. * Run in such a way that you may obtain it." (Romans 12:11, Eccles. 9:10, Col. 3:23-24, Hebrews 6:11-12, 1 Cor. 9:24)

Friend, just like the farmer we have work to do...often it's hard, takes a lot of time and requires effort. We must put in the time working diligently from sun up to sun down and then get up and do it again tomorrow. We must remember WHO we are working for and not forget the purpose our work fulfills.

When my husband finishes the harvest and sells the crop, he knows the work was worth it. In the same way, when you and I finish our work and hear our heavenly Father say, "Well done my good and faithful servant" we will know our effort was not in vain. Today as we face a job that never seems to end or face work that is always there, may we hold on to Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 15:58 - "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

Praying for you now...may you know the work you do is the Lord's and may you remember He sees you and your efforts even when nobody else seems to notice! Finally, a big thank you to my friend, Brooke Sprung, for the pictures of an Iowa sunrise and sunset from a farmer's point of view. It looks like she's a professional photographer, but she's a full-time farmer diligently doing the work that never ends!